Hikers in New Zealand are being urged stay away from the crater lake of a volcano featured in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy because of increased activity. GNS Science has raised the volcanic alert level of Mount Ruapehu to Level Two, which stands for “moderate to heightened volcanic unrest.” Level Three indicates a small eruption. “We have many episodes of unrest but very few eruptions,”
Brad Scott, a volcanologist at GNS Science, told CNN. Hikers are being told to keep at least two kilometers away from the crater’s center. “We recommend climbers, trampers and walkers (not to) enter the zone” said Paul Carr, an operations manager at Tongariro National Park, in a press release. “Guiding companies should also heed the advice and not take people into the zone.” READ MORE
