Different forecasts have put the probability of a future Alpine Fault quake measuring over 8.0 as high as 65 per cent within the next 50 years - and almost 85 per cent over 100 years. The Alpine Fault, running up the South Island, has an earthquake nearly every 300 years. Scientists from the AF8 project, a collaboration between the New Zealand Government and researchers, have been working to identify where the quake might hit in order to develop a better response plan for when the massive quake eventually hits. The Alpine Fault, which runs for about 600km up the spine of the South Island, is one of the world’s major geological features. "Building resilience strategies to effectively respond to the next Alpine Fault earthquake might be the only option for communities that have lived along the fault line for decades.". According to Michigan Tech, a magnitude eight quake "can totally destroy communities near the epicentre.". Alpine Fault could cause a massive earthquake e-mail 18 shares Most watched News videos Vile moment Starbucks customer erupts in furious foul … The last major earthquake on the Alpine Fault was in 1717, so we're already a little overdue for one of the biggest earthquakes in New Zealand's modern history. The … See today's front and back pages, download the newspaper, Project AF8 is a collaborative effort to prepare for a magnitude 8 Alpine Fault earthquake. During the field trip follow the line of the Alpine Fault as it is crossed by roads, bridges, rivers, mountains, power lines, and phone lines from Arthur's Pass to Whataroa on the West Coast. Although the Alpine Fault accommodates a substantial amount of interplate slip, a significant proportion is distributed to the east within and east of the Southern Alps. "The fault is a strike-slip boundary in which the Australian Plate and the Pacific plate are moving horizontally past each other. the Alpine Fault, earthquake physics and faulting, and scien-tific drilling, as well as fourteen talks addressing related subjects and intended to stimulate discussion. (2002). An earthquake on the Alpine Fault is likely to be one of the most significant disasters that could affect Selwyn district. The Alpine Fault is called a strike slip or transform fault. With the last rupture in 1717, another major earthquake is expected soon.". * Big Alpine Fault quake may be 'in near future' The southern part of the fault has been found to rupture on average every 291 years, plus or minus 23 … Taylor-Offord says the Alpine Fault is feared because "there is a clear geological record showing that many earthquakes above magnitude 7 have … Magnitude 8 or larger, geologists said in a special edition of the New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics last year. The A big quake on the Alpine Fault … More ratepayer money to preserve heritage? Movement along this fault has uplifted the Southern Alps and produced large earthquakes. Alpine has had: (M1.5 or greater) 1 earthquake in the past 24 hours 7 earthquakes in the past 7 days; 29 earthquakes in the past 30 days; 767 earthquakes in the past 365 days New Zealand earthquakes cause total DEVASTATION The Alpine Fault runs right through the heart of New Zealand's glacier county on the country's south island. Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. The Alpine Fault is where two great tectonic plates (the Pacific and Australian) plates collide. The source model is 500 km long by 12 km wide with a maximum slip of 15 m half-way along the fault. The Southern Alps have been uplifted on the fault over the last 12 million years in a series of earthquakes. Many of the residents have been resistant against suggestions they should leave their homes and relocate to prepare for the disaster, which is why experts are putting plans in place now. An Alpine Fault earthquake will be felt by every South Islander and likely many North Islanders, too. The Alpine Fault is a big feature of South Island geography and seismic activity. Geologists and authorities are racing to quantify what might happen, and how they might respond in the event of the next one, likely to occur some time in the next 50 years. The Alpine Fault ruptures—on average—every 330 years with a magnitude 8 earthquake. Scientists have revealed new insights into what's piling pressure on New Zealand's big-risk Alpine Fault – and whether the past decade's quakes have added to its squeeze. The fault line is where the Eurasian and Pacific tectonic plates meet, and produce infrequent, yet extremely powerful, earthquakes. The Alpine Fault, which runs about 600km up the western side of the South Island between Milford Sound and Marlborough, poses one of the biggest natural threats to New Zealand - especially the West Coast, Canterbury and Otago. It forms the sharp line separating the snow-covered Southern However, most of the motion on the fault is strike-slip (side to side), with the Tasman district and West Coast moving North and Canterbury and Otagomoving South. Radhika Goyal of the Earth Institute at Columbia University said: "An Alpine Fault rupture could produce one of the most destructive earthquakes since European settlement of New Zealand because of its geologic characteristics. on Haast and spreading north to Ahaura. To make matters worse, the city centre, including its petrol station, police station, motels and many businesses, are situated right on the faultline. One is … The Alpine Fault is a geological fault that runs almost the entire length of New Zealand's South Island (c. 480 km) and forms the boundary between the Pacific Plate and the Indo-Australian Plate. Measuring ~400km from the Lewis Pass in the north to John O'Groats in the south. Van Toyota Granvia ( Self contained), Police follow leads after spate of car break-ins, Petrol price drop: Gull shaves 15c off per litre, New route for cycleway to protect estuary edge, 6000 homeowners apply for EQC on-sold programme, City council offered Citizens’ War Memorial, Dutch solution urged to counter flooding risk, Controversial housing complex opens next week, Climate of fear: Thousands of homes face insurance hike, Review of charity hampered by slow information. The mountains are rising at Xiaoming Wang, Caroline Holden, William Power, Yaoru Liu, Joshu Mountjoy, Seiche Effects in Lake Tekapo, New Zealand, in an Mw8.2 Alpine Fault Earthquake, Pure and Applied Geophysics, 10.1007/s00024-020-02595-w, It’s the "on-land" boundary of the Pacific and Australian Plates. It runs as a single structure for over 500 km. And … A new model has simulated the disruption a major Alpine Fault earthquake would have on the South Island's transport network - cutting off the West Coast for at least a week. The South Island Alpine Fault Earthquake Response (SAFER) Framework provides a concept of coordination of response and priority setting across all six South Island Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) Groups and their partner … Our scientific understanding concerning the next large earthquake on the Alpine Fault, New Zealand. The town of Franz Josef has only 441 residents (according to the 2013 census), but because it is so close to some stunning alps, it draws in more than a million visitors a year. We will use your email address only for sending you newsletters. All these cities have experienced severe earthquakes since European settlement. The Alpine Fault is one of the world's major plate boundaries and New Zealand's most hazardous earthquake-generating fault. English Channel earthquake: Britain rocked by rare quake, Philippines earthquake: Gigantic 6.8 quake rocks Samar province, New Zealand earthquake: 'Totally destructive' magnitude eight tremor 'expected soon', Yellowstone boosts jobs as tourists spend half a billion on visits, California earthquake: 'Way overdue' How physicist warned of a Big One, Earthquake warning: How New Zealand earthquakes could trigger tsunamis. Alpine Fault heterogeneous slip model scenario employing RUPGEN toolkit developed by Mai et al. (2000) and Mai et al. The small town of Franz Josef is just 5 kilometres (3 miles) from tourist hotspot Franz Josef glacier in the Southern Alps. Please see our Privacy Notice for details of your data protection rights. The alpine fault earthquake will alter tectonic stress distribution, and other faultlines may rupture in the days or years following it. “One of the real challenges with the Alpine Fault—because it is so bush-covered—is actually finding sites that have been cleared and therefore can be studied A big quake on the Alpine Fault could block South Island highways in more than 120 places and leave 10,000 people cut off, new research has estimated. A rupture of the fault was therefore considered inevitable, with severe damage predicted to the built environment - especially to infrastructure. Subscribe to ad-free EarthquakeTrack Plus for the best earthquake tracking experience plus additional features and subscriber-only perks. Our scientific understanding concerning the next large earthquake on the Alpine Fault, New Zealand. Express. [1] The Southern Alps have been uplifted on the fault over the last 12 million years in a series of earthquake… At 3 AM on May 29, 2013, the South Island’s technological uncon­scious roars […] Epicenters and Locations of the Latest Quakes Near Alpine, California, United States No Banner Ads. The star represents the earthquake hypocentre It is a dominant feature of the South Island. It last ruptured in 1717 and there is a big earthquake, on average, about every 300 years, but the times vary so there is thought to be about a 30% risk of Presentation given in Christchurch in March 2015. 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