Small eruption detected at NZ White Island

A small eruption has taken place on the volcanic White Island off New Zealand's Bay of Plenty coast.

It erupted between 9.30pm-11pm on Wednesday, according to GNS Science.

Volcanologist Agnes Mazot says it appears the eruption has deposited material over the north side of the crater floor and up onto the north crater wall.

Seismic activity has since returned to normal and no more eruptive activity has been recorded.

The eruption forced the volcanic alert level to be raised from level one to level three - indicating minor volcanic eruption.

The aviation alert has been upgraded to orange.

On Wednesday GNS reported minor volcanic unrest on the island with the water level in the crater lake falling by 2 metres in recent weeks and its temperature had risen by 2C to 58C since February.

It did not change either the volcanic alert level or the aviation alert.