2019 unrest at Taupō
In 2019, Taupō volcano underwent an unrest period, represented by an increased number of earthquakes and ground deformation within the caldera. The locations and patterns of earthquakes and ground deformation allowed ECLIPSE researchers to infer that beneath the caldera there is an active magma reservoir of at least 250 km3 volume, which is at least 20–30% molten. New magma being fed into this reservoir caused the triggering of earthquakes in the surrounding brittle crust along fault lines that reflect both the volcano structure and the regional rift faults that cut across the volcano. Read the published article here, and with links to various news articles here.
Map of Lake Taupō, showing the inferred location of the volcano's magma reservoir which is estimated to have >20%–30% partial melt. The red circle in map view denotes the best-fit location of the inflating source responsible for the observed ground deformation. Cross section shows all earthquakes considered here from the 2019 activity, projected on to a rift-parallel line along with a schematic representation of the mush zone. (from Illsley-Kemp et al, 2021 Fig 13)
Animation showing locations of earthquakes under Taupō volcano during the 2019 unrest period. Video made by Kristian Hansen using Unreal Engine. Read the article here.