Waitākere volcano

Waitākere volcano (also Waitakere volcano, Manukau volcano)
Stratigraphic range: Miocene, ~
TypeIgneous
Unit ofNorthland Volcanic Arc
OverliesMurihiku Terrane Greywacke
Lithology
PrimaryAndesite conglomerate and breccia
Location
Coordinates36°54′S 174°18′E / 36.9°S 174.3°E / -36.9; 174.3
RegionAuckland
CountryNew Zealand
Type section
Named forWaitākere Ranges

The Waitākere volcano, also known as the Manukau volcano, was a Miocene era volcano that formed off the west coast of the modern Auckland Region of New Zealand's North Island. Erupting intermittently between 23 million and 15 million years ago, the volcano was at one point one of the tallest mountains in New Zealand. The volcano alternated between periods as a seamount and as a volcanic island, before tectonic forces raised the volcano up from the seafloor 17 million years ago. Volcanism at the site ceased 15 million years ago and the cone has mostly eroded, however the modern Waitākere Ranges are formed from the remnants of the volcano's eastern slopes. A number of visible volcanic sites associated with the Waitākere volcano remain around Auckland, including Pukematekeo, Karekare and Lion Rock.