New Zealand’s Hidden Eighth Wonder of the World
It is commonly believed—and supported by a five-year-study—that New Zealand’s naturally-forming pink and white terraces (once referred to as the eighth wonder of the world) were destroyed in 1886 when Mount Tarawera erupted. Volcanic ash filled Lake Rotomaha causing irreparable damage to silica sinter quartz formations. However, according to a recent announcement in the Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand by researchers Rex Bunn and Sascha Nolden, this might not be true. Using a field diary of cartographer Ferdinand von Hochstetter, from 1859, they’ve been able to more accurately place the terraces—and believe them to be 30 to 50 feet below the lake’s shore. It’s up to New Zealand’s Tuhuourangi tribal authority to decide whether or not to excavate some.
Via news.nationalgeographic.com link opens in a new window
