The Taupo eruption occurred in 232 ± 10 CE, and not later

Abstract

The Taupo eruption1 deposit is an isochronous marker bed that spans much of New Zealand’s North Island and pre-dates human arrival² . Holdaway et al. (2018; HDK18 hereafter)³ propose that the current Taupo eruption date is inaccurate and that the eruption occurred “…decades to two centuries…” after the published wiggle-match estimate of 232 ± 10 CE (2 s.d.)⁴ derived from a tanekaha (Phyllocladus trichomanoides) tree at the Pureora buried forest Site⁵,⁶. HDK18 propose that trees growing at Pureora (and other near-source areas) that were killed and buried by the climactic ignimbrite event were affected by ¹⁴C-depleted (magmatic) CO₂. HDK18’s proposal utilises a wide range of published ¹⁴C data, but their work results in assertions that are implausible. Four parts to their hypothesis are considered here