The caldera, with Mokoia Island (a small rhyolitic lava dome) and Lake Rotoiti in the distance. Photo / Dougal Townsend
The caldera, with Mokoia Island (a small rhyolitic lava dome) and Lake Rotoiti in the distance. Photo / Dougal Townsend
Your chance to plumb the depths of volcanoes and earth sciences happens this week when hundreds of volcanologists and earth scientists from around the world meet in Rotorua for the IAVCEI Scientific Assembly.
Sponsored by GNS Science and Toka Tū Ake EQC, and hosted by the University of Waikato, the assembly is the largest in-person conference to be held in Aotearoa since the Covid pandemic began, with more than 900 scientists from 41 countries attending.
Attendees are engaging in five days of seminars, workshops and field trips, with many additional field trips taking place over the weekend after the conference. The public are also catered for, with a day of demonstrations and meet-the-expert opportunities.
Pohutu Geyser playing - a central feature of Whakarewarewa geothermal field at Rotorua. Photo / Lloyd Homer
Co-convenor and principal scientist at GNS Science Te Pū Ao, Graham Leonard, says the themes of IAVCEI 2023 encompass the broad disciplines that seek to understand volcanoes and magma, including natural processes, investigative techniques and the benefits and impacts to the society.
“The diverse context of the New Zealand volcanic environment, which will be highlighted across the activities of the scientific assembly, will complement the scientific programme. We’re going to be looking at and talking about everything from magmatism and tectonics to the future of forecasting and everything in between.
“Aotearoa NZ is at the forefront of volcano research and we’re delighted to host this event, which brings hundreds of specialists from around the world to New Zealand. Being able to host it within the Rotorua caldera, amongst some of New Zealand’s iconic volcanic landforms and deposits and in the heart of one of New Zealand’s cultural and touristic centres, is very exciting.”
The public are encouraged to come along to Volcano Fest on Thursday, February 2 to see volcano demonstrations, meet the experts and learn about volcanoes and seismic activity in New Zealand and around the world. VolcanoFest is open from 10am to 4.30pm at the Sportsdrome, Rotorua Energy Events Centre. Co-convenor and senior lecturer in Earth Sciences at the University of Waikato, Dr Adrian Pittari, says it’s a chance for the community to learn more about the science that they see and live with every day.
Gas flight at Tongariro, pictured during the mountain's 2012 eruption. Photo / Karen Britten
“VolcanoFest is a unique opportunity for children, parents and the entire community to learn and interact with the science and the scientists.
“Aotearoa NZ is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire and our communities need to be aware of volcanology and prepared for volcanic hazards. This conference will include a lot of the latest local and international research on volcanoes and volcanic eruptions.”
The IAVCEI Scientific Assembly in Rotorua is the first international volcanology association conference in Aotearoa in almost 40 years. The association represents the primary international focus for (1) research in volcanology, (2) efforts to mitigate volcanic disasters, and (3) research into closely related disciplines, such as igneous geochemistry and petrology, geochronology, volcanogenic mineral deposits, and the physics of the generation and ascent of magma in the upper mantle and crust.
The IAVCEI Scientific Assembly is the largest in-person conference in Aotearoa since the beginning of the pandemic with more than 938 in-person attendees from 41 countries and more than 112 attending virtually.
