Volcanic ash on Auckland Erupting volcanoes in New Zealand have coated the Auckland area with volcanic ash at least 31 times - 14 times from Egmont/Taranaki, eight times from the Okataina volcanic centre, five times from Tongariro, three times from Taupo and once from Mayor Island. These ash layers are preserved in some areas and are up to several centimetres thick.
3:34 PM
16.1.04
Monitoring volcanic gases Changes in the chemistry of volcanic gases and in the rate that gases such as sulphur dioxide are emitted from craters may be used to detect changes in the behaviour of volcanoes. New Zealand scientist regularly sample volcanic gases from steaming vents at places like White Island; Mount Tarawera, the craters on Mount Tongariro and the summit crater of Ngauruhoe. 1:42 PM
9.1.04
On Sunday, 4 January 2004, at around 6 pm local time, thousands of observers saw fireballs cross the skies of northern Spain from Valencia to Santiago de Compostela. In some regions people heard explosions, and fires were started in several areas. The cause is believed to be a disintegrating meteorite. Authorities are now searching for fragments. 2:16 PM
