Whakamaru Caldera

Whakamaru Caldera was created in a massive supereruption 335,000 years ago and is approximately 30 by 40 km (19 by 25 mi) in size and is located in the North Island of New Zealand.

It now contains active geothermal areas as well as the later Maroa Caldera.

The Whakamaru Caldera covers an area larger than the younger Taupō Volcano to its south and indeed the rims overlap.

[2] Domes within the caldera include the Western Dome Complex, including Pokuru which defines its north western borders (which likely overlap with those of the older Mangakino caldera complex), Forest Road Dome, Puketarata (near Te Pouwhakatutu, which is the last Maroa Caldera eruption, now known to be 11,300 ± 1,700 years ago),[3][4] Ngangiho, which is 629 metres (2,064 ft) high but beaten by Ben Lomond 744 metres (2,441 ft), and Marotiri 733 metres (2,405 ft) just to the west of Kinloch.

The first eruptions may have occurred half a million years ago, but the period 320,000 to 340,000 years before the present have been characterised as: The Maroa Caldera eruptions can be regarded as a separate sequence of rholite eruptions commencing from 305,000 years ago continuing to as recently as 14,000 years ago:[2]

Location and relationships
Whakamaru Caldera approximate location and boundaries north of Lake Taupō . The more recent Maroa Caldera is contained within it and the Ohakuri Caldera which had a paired eruption with the Rotorua Caldera is to its north. To its west is the oldest Mangakino Caldera and indeed the area on the map showing separation may not be the case as these are old volcanoes of the old Taupō Rift (yellow shading). Also shown is the modern Taupō Rift (red shading), Hauraki Rift (purple shading) and landmarks of Lake Taupō and Lake Rotorua .