Holy rocks and ash! Mount Tongariro, located in the central North Island of New Zealand, has erupted after lying dormant for 115 years. The eruption brings with it a massive cloud of ash, 115 years worth, reminding us all of the chaos of Eyjafjallajökull. Luckily it’s not so serious this time around.

The volcano started erupting clouds of smoke and ash around midnight last night, which lasted for about 30 minutes. The sparsely populated area in which the volcano is situated has been covered in rocks and ash, leading to Air New Zealand cancelling domestic flights and roads being closed. No international flights have been affected. The area has been evacuated and no injuries have been reported. Ash has been reported settling in areas as far as 100km away.

The scary thing is that seismologists and volcanologists have had their eyes on this beast, and have been noticing increased activity in the region for a while now. Instead of telling anyone, they appear to have taken the ‘wait and see’ approach. We can see where that’s got them. At this point they are unable to say if this eruption will signal the start of another cycle of volcanic activity.

The national park in which the Mount Tongariro is located is a popular New Zealand tourist attraction, and can be seen in the background of many scenes of Lord of the Rings. Perhaps this was the fiery pit into which Frodo was meant to dispose of the ring?

[Source: Guardian]