Raoul Island recovery team steer clear of crater

The recovery team looking for missing man Mark Kearney on Raoul Island were in a safe location last night after being warned the crater could erupt again.

A team of police, scientists and Department of Conservation workers aboard the vessel Brave Heart landed on the island yesterday morning, but have yet to find any sign of Mr Kearney, the DoC worker who has been missing since last Friday's eruption.

Scientists observing the island from an Air Force Orion yesterday advised the team to spend last night at a safe DoC base, 3km from the eruption zone and protected by a substantial ridge.

"The crater is less active than Friday, with no cloud or ash plume, but it is still potentially volatile," said DoC Warkworth area manager Rolien Elliot.

She said volcanologists reported a 6m to 8m rise in the Green Lake since Friday, similar to what occurred before the 1964 eruption.

As a result, she said, the team is unlikely to go near the crater at this stage and they would reassess the situation today.

"Where they are staying [last night] is the safest place on the island, and they are in touch with the team at Wairakei who are monitoring seismic activity. If there's any suggestion of any more activity, they can easily evacuate."

Ms Elliot said the team, which includes five people evacuated by helicopter from the island on Friday, were shocked by the destruction from the eruption.

"Large trees are just uplifted and blown apart. Boulders are strewn across a large area, with a thick layer of ash everywhere around the eruption site."

She said a volcanologist, a DoC worker and a police officer walked up Mt Moumoukai yesterday afternoon to further assess the eruption zone.

They came to a viewing point within 1.5km from the site, but did not find any new information.