Tarawera the Volcanic Eruption of 10 June 1886 By Ronald F. Keam. FIRST EDITION.

Tarawera the Volcanic Eruption of 10 June 1886 By Ronald F. Keam.

Publisher: R. F. Keam, Auckland, 1988, FIRST EDITION.

SCARCE.

Very good hardback with jacket. Minor marks and bumps to boards, no inscriptions. Pages in excellent condition. Jacket has some creasing and scratching.

472 pages, illustrated.

In 1886, a violent eruption occurred at Mount Tarawera, near the city of Rotorua on New Zealand's North Island. At an estimated Volcanic Explosivity Index of 5, the eruption is the largest and deadliest in New Zealand during the past 500 years, which includes the entirety of European history in New Zealand.^[2] The eruption began in the early hours of 10 June 1886 and lasted for approximately 6 hours, causing a 10-kilometre-high (6.2 mi) ash column, earthquakes, lightning, and explosions to be heard as far away as Blenheim in the South Island — more than 500 kilometers (300 miles) away. A 17-kilometre-long (11 mi) rift formed across the mountain and surrounding area during the eruption, starting from the Wahanga peak at the mountain's northern end and extending in a southwesterly direction, through Lake Rotomahana and forming the Waimangu Volcanic Rift Valley.

Damage in the local area was extensive, with ash fall blanketing nearby villages including Te Wairoa.^[1] The eruption is responsible for the presumed destruction of the famed Pink and White Terraces, which prior to the eruption were New Zealand's most famous tourist attraction and brought visitors from across the British empire.