New Zealand is on the intersection where the subduction between the Indo-Australian plate and Pacific plate occur which makes for frequent seismic activity. Just the other day there was an earthquake 96 km off the coast recorded at a 5.0 magnitude. A single earthquake does not accurately represent the seismic activity common in the region. Since the early 1900’s, there have been 15 other M7.5+ earthquakes, making the Indo-Australian plate one of the most seismically active in the world. When scaling back and looking at the total amount of earthquakes it becomes clear the majority have a relatively small magnitude; with more shallow seismic activity occurring compared to deeper activity. The following maps show the past ten years of shallow and deep earthquakes.
However, this is not to say that New Zealand is less susceptible to large-scale events. On November 14, 2016, a recorded 7.8 was felt throughout the entire country and is described as one of the largest, most complex earthquakes ever recorded with modern technology. What made it complicated and unusual was the fact it traveled through 12 major crustal faults. It was the most powerful seismic event occurring in New Zealand in over 150 years which “resulted in surface slip of more than 10 m along multiple faults, several of which were previously unmapped or considered inactive, despite New Zealand having one of the most accurate and comprehensive maps of active faulting worldwide” (Hamling et al. 1). Because earthquakes are a frequent part of life for any of those living in the country, New Zealand has taken many proactive measures to ensure preparedness. The below map shows the location of seismographs the country has for early detection and prediction. The country has also passed legislation requiring buildings to be up to code a structurally sound to survive frequent seismic activity as well as offering numerous websites that inform and prepare the population for earthquakes, eruptions, and tsunamis.
Works Cited
Hamling, Ian J, et al. "Complex Multifault Rupture
during the 2016 Mw 7.8 Kaikōura Earthquake, New Zealand." Science (New
York, N.Y.), vol. 356, no. 6334, 14 Apr. 2017. EBSCOhost,
doi:10.1126/science.aam7194.
Great post and maps..I loved the seismicity risk areas...so easy to see where the main issues would be...this country seems to be a bit like Japan, really tectonically active and also very prepared [as much as you can be] for big quakes...
ReplyDeleteAs Professor Garcia pointed out, it's very interesting to compare and contrast New Zealand and Japan (the country I'm studying) as they have pretty similar activity.The risk zone graphic is a really useful tool to help understand New Zealand's relationship with earthquakes to those who don't already know it. Countries with high tourism rates have to take the extra step to prepare tourists from natural disasters and that graphic is a good tool for increasing a foreigner's knowledge of the land.
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