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Michael A. Stecker
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Mount Egmont (aka: Mt. Taranaki) on New
Zealand's North Island
Mt. Egmont began forming about 70,000 years ago
and aquired its present cone shape about 35,000
years ago. Hill formation started about 25,000
years ago when the northern part of the cone
collapsed, generating volcanic deposits called
lahars over 75 square miles to a depth of at
least 100 feet. A second major cone collapse
and associated lahar arose between 16,100 and
6,970 years ago adding to the hilly terrain in
this region. Egmont has erupted at least eight
times in the last 6,000 years. Most of these
eruptions have been explosive and from the
central vent, however, two flank eruptions
produced Fanthams Peak and Southern Beehive
about 1,300 years ago. The last eruption of
Egmont was in 1755.
Egmont National Park, near the town of New
Plymouth, encompasses Mount Taranaki: New
Zealand's most perfectly symmetrical volcano.
The walks in this park extend from black sand
beaches to lowland rainforest, alpine herb
fields and snow and ice fields.
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