In the wake of any disaster, questions need to be answered.
While many could remain unanswered for some time, Newshub asked you for your questions on the Whakaari/White Island eruption tragedy.
Auckland University volcanologist Professor Shane Cronin kindly weighed in on some of those questions.
What is the risk the eruption could trigger another earthquake or volcanic event in New Zealand or its surrounds?
Very low to nil, Cronin tells Newshub.
"It was a 'small' surface eruption from the water-rich and gassy upper part of the Whakaari crater system."
Cronin said, at this stage, there's no indication of "very deep activity".
He says the volcanoes are all independent of one another, so an eruption is not able to trigger another at a separate location.
Why were groups so big? Shouldn't tour groups have been kept away from the rim when there is an increase in activity?
"The activity state changes often up and down without leading to an eruption," says Cronin.
"Hence, it is not easy to say if there is going to be an eruption of this type in advance.
"I can't comment on operation size except to say that large numbers of visitors and more frequent trips cause, on average, a higher exposure to vulnerability or hazard."
What was the rating for the island as far as geo experts thought for an eruption happening before this one?
"This was a 'normal' type of eruption expected for Whakaari, based on past experience," says Cronin.
Is there any eruption detection equipment located on each of NZ's active or inactive volcanoes?
All potentially active New Zealand volcanoes are monitored, Cronin tells Newshub.
Did the latest quake before the eruption not indicate what was going to potentially happen?
Many similar earthquakes don't lead to eruptions, Cronin says, adding there is never a "one-to-one correlation".
Why was the GeoNet alert not managed better?
Contingency plans about warning levels are up to the individual agencies, Cronin tells Newshub.
Was this a pyroclastic flow eruption?
"It produced a flow that was very similar to a pyroclastic flow," Cronin says. "Normally we would call this a pyroclastic surge because it is driven by and contains very hot steam as well as dense hurricane-like current of gas and rock particles from fine powdery fragments."
Could the eruption set off a fault line?
No, Cronin tells Newshub.
"The shallow eruption is separated from the fault lines."
