Volcanic Samples Uncovered During Excavation

Researchers have paid a visit to our Mt Eden site to glean a clearer picture of the area’s volcanic history.

The team from DEVORA (Determining Volcanic Risk in Auckland) took soil samples from the deep trenches, recently uncovered during site excavations for the new station.

To conduct their research, DEVORA requires access to fresh exposures containing volcanic deposits including basalt (lava flows) and volcanic ash.

During the visit, the team discovered a charcoal-rich layer covering a lava flow which will help aid the understanding of Mt Eden/Maungawhau’s eruption sequence.

A similar study by the same team found that fragments of a tree recovered from a nearby City Rail Link construction site were 28,000 years old – a time when long extinct woolly mammoths and sabre tooth tigers still roamed the planet.