Over the past few weeks, webcams at Whakatāne and Te Kaha have continued to capture steam and gas plumes, with occasional traces of ash.
At times, the MetService has also detected small amounts of ash in the plume via satellite imagery. From the coast, this can sometimes appear as a hazy plume drifting downwind from the volcano.
Recent gas and observation flights have confirmed these coastal observations. Friday’s flight recorded minor changes in the active vent area, which has slightly expanded. Impact craters were also observed, indicating occasional explosive activity that has ejected ballistic blocks up to 600 meters from the vent onto the crater floor. The exact number and timing of these events remain unknown, but such activity is common at Whakaari as vents develop. The impacts of these eruptions have remained confined to the Main Crater floor.
Thermal infrared measurements show that vent temperatures have increased from 220 °C in January to 360 °C on Friday, though they remain well below the peak of over 580 °C recorded in August 2024. Sulphur dioxide (SO₂) emissions continue to be detected by satellite under favorable conditions. When northerly winds prevail, the presence of minor ash in the steam and gas plume, along with gases, may be noticeable along the coast as a sulfuric odor.
Steam, gas, and ash emissions remain variable, as they have for the past few months. This activity is consistent with moderate to heightened unrest, and as a result, the Volcanic Alert Level remains at Level 2. Due to the continued ash emissions, the Aviation Colour Code remains at Orange. These levels reflect both the current activity and the uncertainty surrounding the state of unrest, as real-time monitoring data remains inconsistent.
The activity could escalate suddenly, with little or no warning. More explosive events may continue to affect the crater floor and areas near the island, but the Bay of Plenty coast remains unaffected by these short-term fluctuations.
Source: Geonet New Zealand volcano activity update 25 March 2025
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