Craters of the Moon (geothermal site)

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Craters of the Moon is a small but highly active geothermal field covering about 50,000 m², close to State Highway 1 a few kilometres north of Taupo, New Zealand.

There are numerous steam vents, constantly shifting, collapsing and reforming giving the whole area desolate appearance, hence the name. There are also some bubbling thermal mud pools. The area also holds a number or plants not normally native to the area, but which thrive (or are the only ones that can live) in the hot and partly noxious environment.

Due to the somewhat poisonous fumes and the fact that ground temperatures around steam vents can reach dangerous levels, the paths and board walkways that allow access to the field are relaid at irregular intervals to bypass them. The walkways are maintained by a volunteer group which also guards the carpark of this well-visited tourist spot.

[edit] Origin

The craters are significant as one of the very few geothermal area in the world that appeared as a result of human actions. There was only light geothermal activity in the actual area until shortly after the building of the Wairakei Geothermal Power Station about 2000 metres north of the field. This reduced the pressure in the area, thus allowing very hot liquid water to transform into steam (the boiling point of liquids rises with increasing pressure).