HLM – Chapter 861 The Volcano is Brewing

Wang Bo dug into the soil and reached out to touch it.

Logically, if the sand had heated up due to prolonged sunlight, the soil layer beneath it should feel cooler once exposed, since sunlight can’t penetrate very far.

But now, when he touched it, it felt warm—and even slightly hot.

Seeing this, he continued digging. With a few swift motions, he unearthed a small pit about forty centimeters deep.

At that moment, murky water bubbled up. This was easy to understand: right next to them was Lake Haweya, and the surrounding area was rich in groundwater, so digging a pit that revealed a spring wasn’t unusual.

But this water was warm. Wang Bo dug at another spot, and the water that emerged was still hot.

Seeing this, he guessed aloud: “My God… could there really be a volcano down here? A whole hot spring? Damn it, this isn’t a surprise—it’s terrifying!”

New Zealand sits along the “Pacific Ring of Fire,” a fault zone formed where the Pacific Plate collides with the Indian and Australian continental plates. This subduction has created an area of enormous heat and pressure in the mantle.

This subduction process provides ample energy for volcanic activity, which is why New Zealand has a high density of active volcanoes and frequent eruptions.

However, there’s no need to worry about the South Island. New Zealand’s active volcanoes are all on the North Island.

There lies the triangular Taupo Volcanic Zone. During the late Pliocene and Pleistocene, regional surface fissures and volcanic eruptions occurred mostly here, including at Ruapehu, Tongariro, Ngauruhoe, Tarawera, and White Island.

The deeper Wang Bo dug, the hotter the water became. He grew genuinely concerned, muttering, “If there really is a volcano down here, my God… Sunset Town is doomed!”

The most noticeable impact of volcanic activity on the landscape is violent eruption—and that’s true for all volcanoes on Earth.

Geologists have even said that New Zealand’s North Island was shaped by volcanic activity. But it’s important to remember: volcanic eruptions don’t just build hills and mountains—they also destroy everything in their path.

For example, New Zealand’s famous Lake Rotorua sits in the caldera of a collapsed ancient volcano, the result of a violent eruption that obliterated a hill.

The world’s largest volcanic lake, Lake Taupo—a New Zealand tourist attraction—was formed by a massive eruption 20,000 years ago. Over the past 2,000 years, several thousand square kilometers of central North Island have been covered in Taupo volcanic ash.

Bowen, however, remained optimistic. “Volcanic eruptions aren’t that easy to trigger. I’ve traveled north and south all my life and have never seen one erupt!”

The young man added, “Yes. Even if there is a small volcano beneath us, it might never erupt. And if it did, it wouldn’t necessarily spew lava—it could just be like my hometown, with geysers, mud pools, and geothermal steam.”

Hearing this, Wang Bo asked, “You’re from Rotorua on the North Island?”

The young man nodded with a smile. “Yes, that’s my hometown—the land of volcanoes.”

No wonder he was so calm; he had grown up living among volcanoes.

Rotorua is surrounded by small volcanoes, but in modern times there haven’t been any catastrophic eruptions. The volcanoes mostly display themselves through geysers, mud pools, and geothermal steam.

Geysers intermittently shoot boiling water from deep underground, with water column heights varying with underground pressure.

Mud pools resemble a pot of boiling porridge, bubbling constantly.

When the bubbles burst, wisps of geothermal steam rise through underground fissures into the air.

In fact, Bowen and the young man weren’t purely optimistic, and Wang Bo’s panic wasn’t purely pessimistic—it was simply the result of different education.

In Chinese geography classes, volcanic lessons focus on the disasters eruptions can cause. In New Zealand, a volcanic country, students are taught more about the calm side of volcanoes, emphasizing that eruptions are rare.

It’s similar to earthquakes: Chinese people react to them with fear, whereas New Zealanders treat them like a common flu—acknowledging the risk but not terrified.

Neither perspective is right or wrong; it’s just a difference in how natural disasters are understood.

Another example is storms. In China, people shrug them off because major coastal cities face hurricanes or typhoons every year, and the state handles reconstruction.

In New Zealand, storms are more worrying because insurance usually covers only part of the damage—the rest is the homeowner’s responsibility. Losses can be substantial.

Volcanic activity also brings economic opportunities, especially in tourism and souvenirs. For over a century, New Zealand’s volcanoes and geysers have attracted thousands of visitors annually; Auckland itself is built atop volcanoes.

Volcanoes also provide useful minerals and resources: volcanic rock is widely used in construction. Geothermal hot springs contain chemical elements beneficial for mineral therapy.

Geothermal waters can help treat rheumatism, muscular disorders, eczema, and other ailments. Certain diseases respond to different water temperatures and chemical compositions in geothermal pools.

Volcanic mud and sulfur-rich springs have strong antibacterial properties and can treat skin diseases. Geothermal steam can be collected for home or greenhouse heating, swimming pool heating, and industrial drying or wood treatment.

Even geothermal steam can be used for electricity generation. New Zealand has excelled in geothermal power, exporting its technology to South America, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

Bowen immediately thought of this: “Boss, if you’re worried about a volcano underground, why not build a geothermal power plant?”

Geothermal power extraction relies on tapping underground steam, which reduces the pressure of the heat source and mitigates the volcano’s destructive potential.

This wasn’t a decision for now. Wang Bo planned to have the geological department investigate. If there really was a brewing volcano underground, he’d have to find a solution.

It was frustrating—he had hoped Lakefront Heart would bring him a surprise, but instead, he was shocked. There were few moments of joy.

In contrast, the young couple and Bowen thought geothermal activity at the lake was very cool. With plenty of water around, digging a pit produced a hot spring; once the water settled and became clear, they could enjoy a relaxing soak.