Craters of the Moon (not really)

There's a bunch of neat geothermal walks around Taupo, but we feel we might do some of the more expensive ones with friends and family that are coming to visit in the next couple weeks, so we decided to do the cheapest one, "Craters of the Moon" (note: this is in New Zealand, not on the moon, sadly).

It was surprisingly cool! Steam erupted from seemingly nothing in the ground all over the 45 minute walk. Steam here, steam there, steam everywhere! A slight sulphur smell permeated the whole park as well.

For me the most interesting thing about the park came from Wikipedia. It used to be the site of a number of different geysers, which spit out tons of hot water all the time. In the 1950s the Wairakei Power Station was built, which uses geothermal energy to generate electricity, and a byproduct of the construction of the plant was the elimination of the geysers at the nearby (now) Craters of the Moon park. According to Wikipedia, the power plant "reduced the pressure in the hot water systems below the earth surface. Since then much of the geothermal activity in the region has dramatically changed, as did the geothermal activity at Craters of the Moon. The geysers at Wairakei Geyser Valley totally disappeared, but the heat output at Craters of the Moon increased. A lot of hydrothermal eruptions occurred, which formed the craters." and also notes that while pressure decreased in the system, the overall energy increased for a while with the added heat. In 1950 the energy output in the area was measured at 50 megawatts, and as of 1964 it had hit 420MW, and has come down to 200 megawatts now (as of 2000, anyways).

Overall the place was a neat experience and definitely had an unearthly feel!

Super duper cool crater panorama. Be sure to maximize for greatest viewing!

Steam: now coming direct from Earth.

Ok just because it's cloudy doesn't mean it's not super bright.

One more try to keep my eyes open properlyish!

These mud pits are made by combining H2S (hydrogen sulfide, eep!) gas and lava rocks, turning them into clay. When water is present the steam bubbles up causing mud explosions. We thought this was cool until later in the day when we saw it with a lot more water!

Craters of the Moon as seen from the scenic outlook.

Steam and acid, natural as pie. Actually, more natural than pie!