New Zealand's geothermal resources
New Zealand has a large supply of geothermal energy, particularly across a wide strip in the central North Island known as the Taupō Volcanic Zone (TVZ).
The TVZ is one of the most volcanically-active areas in the world. It includes two large caldera (collapsed) volcanoes (Taupo and Okataina), dome volcanoes (Ruapehu, Tongariro, Ngauruhoe and Whakaari/White Island), and zones of molten rocks between Ruapehu and Kawerau.
The earth’s crust below the Taupō Volcanic Zone may be as little as 12 km deep, which is very unusual and means there is a lot of heat close to the surface.
