New Zealand - August 2nd, 2010
Mount Taranaki, or Mount Egmont, is an active but quiescent stratovolcano in the Taranaki region on the west coast of New Zealand’s North Island. The 2518-metre-high mountain is one of the most symmetrical volcanic cones in the world, similar in shape to Mount Fuji in Japan.
Taranaki is considered unusual in that it has experienced at least five of its major eruptions by the method of cone collapse. Few volcanoes have undergone more than one cone collapse. The vast volume of material involved in these collapses is reflected in the extensive ringplain surrounding the volcano. Here, that ringplain appears dark greyish green in color, in contrast to the bright green plains surrounding it.