Geothermal features annual monitoring report - June 2021

TR 2021/17
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Report: TR 2021/17

Author: Jesse Lebe

Abstract

Annual geothermal monitoring data from 2005 to 2021 are presented for long-term observations of geothermal feature conditions. A field survey was conducted in November – December 2020. Twelve geothermal fields were visited: Atiamuri, Mokai, Ngatamariki, Orakei Korako, Reporoa, Rotokawa, Tauhara, Te Kopia, Waikite, Waiotapu, and Whangairorohea. Water temperature and pH measurements were taken where possible, and general observations on the feature conditions were also recorded. Images captured from a relatively new infrared thermal imager device are included in this report to show the thermal profile of each surface feature. Many features have exhibited temperature and pH changes since 2005, while others remained relatively unchanged. The Hydrothermal Eruption Crater at Ngatamariki is observed to have a semi-permanent sediment apron composed of pumiceous materials from a landslip which occurred in 2019. A new feature that we named Orion’s Belt was discovered in late 2020 at Orakei Korako. The Champagne Pool at Waiotapu and Te Manaroa Pool at Waikite are two major alkali-chloride springs that did not show major changes since 2005.

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Contents
Acknowledgement i
Abstract v
Executive summary vi
1 Introduction 1
1.1 Report Content 1
1.2 Methodology 1
2 Atiamuri 3
2.1 66_94: Upper Atiamuri School Spring 3
2.2 3058_6: Bergs Crater 4
2.3 3058_2: Whangapoa Pools Northwest Pool 5
2.4 3058_3: Whangapoa Pools Southeast Pool 7
2.5 3058_1: Matapan Road 9
3 Mokai 11
3.1 3062_12: P3 Paerata Road (Mud Geyser/MKNF13) 11
3.2 3062_13: P4 Paerata Road (Feature 1/P1 a-g) 13
3.3 3062_14: T5 Tirohanga Road - Crater 3 15
3.4 3062_37: T1 and T2 Tirohanga Road - Crater 8a 17
3.5 3062_38: T3 Tirohanga Road - Crater 8 19
3.6 3062_39: T4 Tirohanga Road - Crater 7 21
3.7 3062_17: West Mokai Spring MKF17 23
3.8 3062_42: Waipapa Stream Springs 24
4 Ngatamariki 25
4.1 3063_1: Hydrothermal Eruption Crater 25
4.2 3063_4: Southern Spring aka Biodiversity Pool 28
5 Orakei Korako 30
5.1 3065_1: Map of Australia 30
5.2 3065_2: OKF26 Mercury Monitoring Pool 33
5.3 3065_6: Diamond Geyser 35
5.4 3065_7: Bush Geyser 38
5.5 3065_18: Sapphire Geyser 41
5.6 3065_8: Cascade Geyser 43
5.7 3065_29: Devil's Throat 45
5.8 3065_11: Map of Africa 47
5.9 3065_31: Manganese Pool 49
5.10 3065_30: Fred and Maggie Pool 52
5.11 3065_22: Soda Fountain 54
5.12 3065_177: North Pool by boardwalk 57
5.13 3065_178: South Pool by boardwalk 59
5.14 3065_180: Fumarole to the left of the boardwalk 61
5.15 3065_185: Ruatapu Cave main pool 63
5.16 3065_183: Kurapai 65
5.17 3065_500: Orion's Belt 66
5.18 3065_451: Waihunuhunu Inlet 1 67
6 Reporoa 69
6.1 3066_1: Butcher's Pool 69
6.2 3066_24: Whareppa Road: Fumaroles 71
6.3 3066_25: Longview Road Lake 73
6.4 3066_26: Longview Road Mud Pools 75
6.5 3066_8: Figure 8 Shaped Hot Pool 77
6.6 3066_27: Figure 8 Shaped Hot Pool - small pool 79
6.7 3066_9: Hot Pool 3 at Reporoa 81
6.8 3066_10: Hot Pool 4 at Reporoa 83
6.9 3066_11: Golden Springs Motel; North Pool 85
6.10 3066_12: Golden Springs Motel; South Pool 87
6.11 3066_13: No 3 across Golden Springs Hotel 89
6.12 3066_14: No 4 across the Golden Springs Hotel 91
7 Rotokawa 93
7.1 3067_3: RKF3 93
7.2 3067_4: RKF4 95
8 Tauhara 97
8.1 3068_119: Kathleen Stream u/s confluence Otumuheke 97
8.2 3068_101: Otumuheke u/s confluence Kathleen Stream 99
8.3 3068_112: Waipahihi New Spring 100
8.4 3068_6: Waipahihi Source Spring 102
8.5 3068_16: Taharepa Springs 105
8.6 3068_17: Rocky Point Spring 108
9 Te Kopia 111
9.1 3069_1: Large pool and mud volcano 111
9.2 3069_4: Mud pools west of Te Kopia Road 113
9.3 3069_43: TKF100 114
9.4 3069_45: Murphy's twin tomos, eastern vent (Doom) 115
10 Waikite 117
10.1 3073_106: Top Inlet Spring 117
10.2 3073_107: Hot Pools Supply Spring 118
10.3 3073_108: Pool adjacent to Supply Spring 121
10.4 3073_32: WAF5586 Te Manaroa Pool 124
10.5 3073_109: Scalding Spring 127
10.6 3073_110: Waikite Scarp and Spring 130
11 Waiotapu 133
11.1 3074_124: Kerosene Creek 133
11.2 3074_292: Keorsene Creek Large Pool 135
11.3 3074_174: WTF1049 The Hidden Pool 136
11.4 3074_177: WTF1052 Lady Knox Geyser 138
11.5 3074_178: WTF1053 Knox hole spring and channel 140
11.6 3074_184: WTF1059 Weather Pool 142
11.7 3074_185: WTF1060 Devil's Bath 145
11.8 3074_191: WTF1066 NW Boardwalk geyser 147
11.9 3074_192: WTF1067 Sinter Terraces-Foreground Pool 148
11.10 3074_194: WTF1069 Jean Batten Geyser 151
11.11 3074_199: WTF1075 Oyster Pool 153
11.12 3074_195: Waiotapu Geysers 156
11.13 3074_294: Waiotapu Geysers outlet 1 158
11.14 3074_295: Waiotapu Geyser outlet 2 159
11.15 3074_286: WTF3064 Champagne Pool Sampling Pt 3 160
11.16 3074_291: WTF4064 Champagne Pool Sampling Pt 4 162
11.17 3074_212: WTF1088 Lake Ngakoro 163
11.18 3074_172: WTF1047 Venus Bath Spring 165
11.19 3074_281: Waiotapu Loop Road Pools 166
12 Whangairorohea 167
12.1 3076_1: Tahunaatapu Pool 167