On fault-line watch out east

New Zealand’s largest fault, the Hikurangi subduction zone off the east coast of the North Island, has long been under the scientific spotlight and the Hawke’s Bay public will have an opportunity to learn what has been unearthed at a public presentation tomorrow evening.

The free admission presentation will be staged at the Napier Conference Centre from 6pm to 8pm and has been organised by East Coast LAB (Life at the Boundary), the New Zealand Geoscience Society, GNS and Niwa.

Four leading scientists with extensive knowledge of the country’s most active fault will take part.

Dr Laura Wallace, Dr Kate Clark and Dr Dan Bassett, of GNS Science, and Dr Alan Orpan, of Niwa, will present the latest findings of research into the Hikurangi zone and the potential it has for large earthquakes and subsequent tsunami which could have a major impact on the Hawke’s Bay region.

They will also explain the latest work on what are known as low-slip earthquakes off the eastern coast as well as other scientific research projects being carried out.

“It is a great opportunity for the Napier and Hastings communities to learn more about the science involved and how we are coming to understand more and more about the risks the Hikurangi subduction zone poses to Hawke’s Bay,” East Coast LAB spokeswoman Kate Boersen said.

Clark has long focused on trying to understand the locations, dates and magnitudes of past earthquakes and tsunamis which had occurred along the Hikurangi margin and studies the coastline from East Cape to Marlborough looking for evidence of past coastal disturbances.

Sudden changes in water levels in coastal lagoons, uplift of beaches and evidence of tsunami inundation that would have deposited marine sediment many hundreds of metres inland are just some of the clues.

“I love discovering new things,” she said.

“Uncovering evidence for a past earthquake or tsunami that we would otherwise never know about.”

She said the work never stopped as there was “always more to discover”.

Following the presentations there will be an opportunity for the audience to ask questions of the scientists.

The East Coast LAB is a collaborative programme that brings together scientists, emergency managers, experts and stakeholders across the East Coast to make it more accessible to learn about the natural hazards.