The Company never has been very successfull, and the aggressive gases and materials made retorts and buildings unusable in a short time. The works were abandoned when a land slide killed all of the workers, leaving a cat as the single survivor. It was never found out what really happend, but it is believed an earthquake caused a part of the outer crater wall to collapse. Crater Floor Location Crater Floor, White Island, New Zealand Information White Island is shaped like a horseshoe. This is a view of the crater floor looking from the building to the inner crater.
White Island is very active.
Though it normaly doesn't erupt lava, there are signs of volcanic activity everywhere. Steaming hot earth and boiling pools filled with mud and water. The floor is covered with find ash so walking on it is like walking on the moon. Many fumeroles discharge hot gases, some of them reaching temperatures of over 800C. Out pilot told us that some years ago the surrounding rocks where so hot they were glowing in the dark. Central Crater Location Central Crater, White Island, New Zealand Information White Island has a central crater whose appearance is constantly altered by minor and major eruption.