Three New Hot Spring Vents Exposed at Orakei Korako Geothermal Field, New Zealand

Abstract

At Orakei Korako geothermal field, Taupo Volcanic Zone, New Zealand, three new hot spring vents appeared in 2019, underneath and adjacent to the boardwalk. These vents were buried and have now been reactivated following a small hydrothermal eruption. Two of these vents currently have 98°C clear, blue water at their base while the third vent is steaming. Prior to exposure of these three vents, this site had elevated near-surface temperatures for many years which we recorded at 100 °C at 0.5 m depth during our repeated site visits. A survey undertaken in 2012 to assess heat migration pathways at Orakei Korako documented hydrothermal alteration in the shallow subsurface at the site where the three new vents are now visible.