A New Zealand research team has received funding to investigate response times for Aucklanders in the event of a volcanic eruption.

The University of Auckland experts will use the $NZ67,315 ($64,264) to examine how long it would take for magma to rise to the surface of the volcanic field on which Auckland sits.

Research Co-ordinator Marco Brenna says they will observe crystals in deposits thrown up by previous eruptions.

“The distribution of trace chemical elements in these crystals results from variable burn times,” he said.

“This indicates how long the crystals spent floating in the magma, and hence how fast the magma travels to the surface.”

Dr Brenna says impending eruptions would be identified via a series of field seismic sensors already in place.

Auckland has 53 volcanoes, all of which are thought to have erupted once over the past 250,000 years – except for Rangitoto Island, which has erupted twice. The scientists say the next event will probably occur at a new location.

“It’s still unclear where it might happen, but our research will at least give some scope to advising Aucklanders how much time they’ve got before a volcano erupts,” Dr Brenna said.

“Overseas research shows it might take days or weeks for the magma to rise, but this is not necessarily applicable to the Auckland volcanic field, so that’s why our localised research is so important.”

The funding comes from the Earthquake Commission’s (EQC) biennial grants program.

The research is part of the Determining Volcanic Risk in Auckland project, designed to educate emergency planners. It is funded by the EQC and Auckland Council.

The EQC grants $16 million ($15.27 million) each year to research on New Zealand’s natural disasters.