Raoul Island, 21 November 1964 - Our most northerly active volcano last erupted in 1964 from vents close to Green Lake. A seismic crisis in 1994 did not culminate in an eruption. (photo by D. Merton)

Raoul is a stratovolcano located in the Kermadec Islands. The volcano rises 8987 ft (2740 m) above the ocean floor. Raoul is roughly triangular in shape with an area of 29.25 sq km. The center of this island contains a caldera. This caldera is 2.05 miles (3.3 km) wide. A second crater lies in the rim of the cliffs that surround the island. These cliffs also encircle half of the nearby bay. A third crater lies east of the main island.

Raoul island is composed of material ejected from several eruption centers. Most of the early materials erupted from Raoul are andesitic tuffs. The Herald Islets in the east were the first to be active. A later eruption of pumice tuffs covers these andesitic tuffs. Raoul has erupted 14 times. It last erupted in 1965.

 


Sources of Information:

Richard, J.J., "Catalogue of the Active Volcanoes of the World Including Solfatara Fields: Part XIII -- Kermadec, Tonga and Samoa," International Association of Volcanology, Italy, 38 pp., 1962.

Latitude (DD): 
-29.27
Longitude (dd): 
-177.92
Elevation (m): 
516
State (Province, etc): 
Kermadec Islands
Country: 
New Zealand
Type: 
Stratovolcano