Keeping an Eye on Mt. Ruapehu

This week, staff of Ruapehu will be keeping a close eye on the mountain.

Mount Ruapehu is the highest mountain at 2797m, in the North Island of New Zealand, and the most recent of volcanoes to have erupted.

It's crater lake is going through a temperature rise. Experiencing a hot phase much longer than normal.

Volcanologists issued an alert for pilots flying over the mountain. But despite of the heat up, they said there's no need to panic.

Agnes Mazot, Geonet duty volcanologist said that changes had recently occuring in volcanic gas output, seismic activity, and crater water lake chemistry. These changes and signs show that Ruapehu is experiencing signs of elevating unrest, but Tony Hurst, a volcanologist of Geonet, told NZPA that these changes are normal for an acitve volcano such as Ruapehu.

Marketing manager of Alpine Lifts, Mike Smith says, that the company has systems on site to prepare for an eruption. Staffs of Ruapehu do a number of drills before the winter time, and they're ready if eruption is going to occur. However, Mazot of Geonet said that there were no current indications an eruption is imminent.