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Kiwi volcanologist wins Rutherford Prize for work on NZ's super volcanos

October 11, 2017

A Kiwi volcanologist has been awarded New Zealand's top honour for his research on super volcanoes which have the ability to erupt and spread ash as far away as Antarctica.

Colin Wilson, who has been honoured with the Rutherford Prize - New Zealand's top science honour - says while the chances of an eruption in our lifetime are slim, they have happened before.

"We've had four super eruptions in New Zealand in the young history of our volcanos," Mr Wilson told TVNZ's Breakfast.

"The youngest was 25, 500 years ago which the eruption that basically created Lake Taupo.

"That was the one where a group in America that has been doing icicle drilling and has found fragments of the ash in Antarctica."

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Mr Wilson says he hopes his research about past volcanoes in New Zealand will help predict what will happen in the future.

New Zealand Environment Natural Disasters Science

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