Volcano · New Zealand
Ruapehu
New Zealand's largest active volcano, with ski fields on its slopes.
Status right now
No current reports
Ruapehu is not in the latest Smithsonian weekly report or the GDACS volcano alerts. That usually means it is quiet, but not every change is reported straight away. For official alerts, follow the local volcano observatory.
Checked 4 Nov 2026, 22:38 UTC.
Key facts
- Country
- New Zealand
- Region
- Pacific
- Type
- Stratovolcano
- Summit
- 2,797 m (9,177 ft)
- Coordinates
- 39.280° S, 175.570° E
- Smithsonian number
- 241100
What kind of volcano is it?
Ruapehu is a stratovolcano. A stratovolcano is a tall, steep cone built from layers of lava, ash and rock from many eruptions. Its sticky magma traps gas, so eruptions are often explosive, with ash columns and fast-moving pyroclastic flows.
Eruption history
| Date | VEI | Deaths | Also |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Dec 1953 | – | 151 | – |
1 significant eruption near Ruapehu in NOAA's Global Significant Volcanic Eruptions Database, which lists eruptions that caused deaths, damage or a tsunami, or were VEI 6 or larger. VEI is the Volcanic Explosivity Index, from 0 to 8.
Nearby volcanoes
- Whakaari / White IslandNew Zealand · 241 km
- YasurVanuatu · 2,273 km
- AmbrymVanuatu · 2,661 km
- BaganaPapua New Guinea · 4,213 km
- ErebusAntarctica · 4,272 km
- UlawunPapua New Guinea · 4,519 km
Not an official warning service. In an emergency, follow your local authorities.