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The Auckland volcanic field is a website) VOLCANIC FEATURES Volcanoes The first vents erupted at the Domain , Albert Park and St Heliers between 60,000 and 140,000 years ago. Since then some 49 vents have erupted, though each eruptive vent has generally only had a geologically short period of activity. The most recent eruption (about 600 years ago and within historical memory of the local Māori iwis) was of Rangitoto , an island Shield Volcano just east of the city, erupting 2.3 cubic kilometres of lava only centuries ago. Each volcanic eruption has tended to be bigger than the previous, with Rangitoto making up almost 60% of the field's entire volume of erupted material. All of the volcanoes are relatively small, most being less than 150 meters in height. Lava flows The field has produced voluminous lava flows, which cover much of the Auckland isthmus. One of the longest runs from '', Winter 2006. Accessed 2007-05-04 . HUMAN CONTEXT Usage Several of the volcanic cones were occupied by substantial Māori Pa before European Settlement , and many terraces and other archeological remnants are still visible. Many of the cones have been levelled or strongly altered - in small part due to the historical Māori use, but mostly through relatively recent quarrying of construction materials (especially Scoria ). However several of the remaining volcanoes are now preserved as landmarks and parks. In March 2007, New Zealand submitted the volcanic field, with several specifically named features, as a World Heritage Centre, 2007-03-30 . Accessed 2007-05-04 ) At that time, only 2% of more than 800 World Heritage Sites worldwide were in this "mixed" category. Dangers Since the field is not extinct, new volcanic events may occur at any time, though the usual period between events averages between hundreds and thousands of years. However, the effects of such an event, especially a full-scale eruption, would be substantial. With a warning period of possibly only a couple days, avoidance of loss of life is the immediate goal, but the effects of an eruption - ranging from Lava Bomb s, Ash Fall s, venting Volcanic Gas to Lava Flow s - might continue for several months and cause substantial destruction and disruption. These might range from burial of substantial tracts of residential or commercial property to mid-to-long-term closures of major parts of the country's infrastructure, such as the Port Of Auckland , the State Highway Network or the Auckland International Airport . Various operative structures, plans and systems have been set up to prepare responses to renewed volcanic activity within the urban areas, mainly coordinated in the 'Auckland Volcanic Field Contingency Plan' of the Auckland Regional Council , which provides a framework for interaction of Civil Defense and Emergency Services during an eruption. Auckland also has a net of Seismic Monitoring Network (with 5 main stations and 3 repeaters within the Auckland Region ) that will pick up the small Tremor s likely preceding any such volcanic activity. LIST OF VOLCANOES The volcanoes within the field include:
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