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Geyser Revives

The Wairoa geyser at Whakarewarewa is showing signs of emerging from its 50-year-old rest, according to the NZ Geological Survey.

The geyser used to shoot 50 metres into the air in the early 1900s but stopped performing in 1940, with a few displays later coaxed out of it artificially. A Geological Survey officer has found that the geyser's water levels have risen, as have the alkali and chloride concentrations needed for active displays.

It is suspected that bore closures in Rotorua may have contributed to the geyser's recovery.

Resource Research, No. 20