A New Zealand volcano expert says a research trip to La Palma in the Canary Islands has produced important lessons about potential eruptions near Auckland. 

The Spanish island was affected by more than 160 million cubic metres of lava after an earthquake caused an 85-day eruption on the Cumbre Vieja volcano ridge in 2021.

The eruption led to an estimated insured cost of about $1.36 billion.  

GNS Science volcanologist Dr Geoff Kilgour says his visit garnered vital information for his research in collaboration with the Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tu Ake.  

“There are very few lava-producing eruptions that have occurred in built-up areas like Auckland, which is why La Palma is such a good example of how lava interacts with buildings and infrastructure,” Dr Kilgour said.  

“The scale of destruction is hard to imagine. Thick rivers of lava flowed through populated areas towards the sea, burying hundreds of houses. We spoke to Canarians who lost their homes and have had to relocate, and others whose health is suffering because they continue to live in damaged homes they can’t afford to repair.”    

Although the likelihood of a major eruption in Auckland is low – the last NHC claim settlement for volcanic eruption was in 1996 – Dr Kilgour warns an event would have significant impacts.  

“With the type of volcanoes we have in Auckland, we can almost certainly expect to see lava flowing for hundreds of metres to several kilometres from its vent. We expect fires to be a big issue in Auckland, where we have many more timber-frame buildings, and our volcanoes produce similarly hot and fluid lava.”  

He says the city’s engineering challenges could lead to “savvy solutions”, including using ancient Roman techniques of adding limestone into roads.  

NHC chief research and resilience officer Dr Jo Horrocks says the study “will help us understand how to better assess damage post-eruption and inform scenario planning and modelling of future impacts”.