Scientists announced plans on Monday to use unmanned submarines to search the bottom of Lake Rotomahana, near Rotorua, for traces of the terraces, which were considered to be "The Eighth Wonder of the World".
They were the largest silica terraces in the world and attracted tourists from Europe at a time when New Zealand was still relatively inaccessible and passage took several months by ship.
Researchers believe it is possible parts survived the Mt Tarawera eruption, particularly the White Terraces, which were protected from the explosion by a ridge.
However, Mick May, who camped in the area for a month in January collecting samples, says he doubts any trace of the landmark would be found.
"New Zealand was known around the world for the Pink and White Terraces and they have a mythical status here," he said yesterday.
"They were so important to New Zealand back then, because they brought tourists.
People cling to the hope they're still around."
The White Terraces, on the north bank of Lake Rotomahana, were the larger and more beautiful formation, covering three hectares and descending 30m, while the Pink Terraces, on the west bank, were popular with bathers.
"Even if they were still intact, they'd be under 30m of water and at least another 20m of eruption debris.
There's no way they're going to find them with submersibles."
The eruption would have reached a temperature of at least 1200degC, Mr May said.
"There's a small possibility they'll find something, but they were most likely destroyed in the eruption. I reckon there's not much chance of anything being left of them. But, who knows?"
Mr May (24) came to Dunedin two years ago from Kealakekua Bay, on Big Island in Hawaii, to complete a PhD in volcanology at the University of Otago.
The terraces were formed by geothermally heated water containing siliceous sinter, which left thick silica deposits, he said.
They were destroyed about 3am on June 10, 1886, during an eruption that also buried several villages, including the settlement of Te Wairoa, killing more than 100 people.
Maori knew the terraces, 22km southeast of Rotorua, as "Otukapuarangi" (fountain of the clouded sky) and "Te Tarata" (the tattooed rock).
The project to find the terraces, which starts in January, is a collaboration between GNS Science, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in the United States, Waikato University and the Te Arawa Lakes Trust Board.
