Alert level raised at New Zealand's Taupo Volcano for 1st time

But, this is not the first volcanic unrest at Taupo, said GeoNet

"There have been 17 previous episodes of unrest over the past 150 years.

Several of these were more severe than what we are currently observing at Taupo."

GNS Volcanology Nico Fournier said - none of these episodes occurred over the past 1,800 years before written records were kept, ended in an eruption.

The last eruption at Taupo Volcano was around 232 AD, Fournier said.

"The chance of an eruption at Taupo remains very low in any one year," he said

GNS Science, through the GeoNet program, continually monitors Taupo Volcano and other active volcanoes for signs of activity.

While Volcano Alert Level 1 is mostly associated with environmental hazards, the potential for eruption hazards also exists, he said.

Lil Nas X Trolls LGBTQ Homophobic Protesters Outside Concert in Boston