Why a megathrust earthquake on the Hikurangi margin could cause a tsunami?
The risk comes from the Hikurangi subduction zone, a fault that runs along New Zealand’s East Coast, where the Pacific and Australian tectonic plates collide. Scientists say it could trigger a massive 8.4 magnitude quake, which would cripple the lower North Island.
Where is the Hikurangi trench?
North Island of New Zealand
The Hikurangi Trench, also called the Hikurangi Trough, is an oceanic trench in the bed of the Pacific Ocean off the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand, lying between the southern end of the Cook Strait and the Chatham Rise.
How far away from Napier is the Hikurangi trench?
about 15 km
The Hikurangi subduction zone starts in the northeastern South Island and extends up past East Cape. The Pacific Plate dives westward beneath the North Island, starting at the offshore Hikurangi Trough. It lies about 25 km beneath Wellington and about 15 km beneath Napier and Gisborne.
Where is the Hikurangi fault?
The Hikurangi plate boundary, located off the East Coast of the North Island, is where the Pacific tectonic plate subducts (or dives underneath) the Australian tectonic plate – and is what scientists call a subduction zone.
Which country gets most earthquakes?
Japan
For which country do we locate the most earthquakes? Japan. The whole country is in a very active seismic area, and they have the densest seismic network in the world, so they are able to record many earthquakes.
How deep is Kaikoura Trench?
It stretches for over 60 kilometres and reaches depths of up to 1200+ metres. The canyon is part of the Kermadec Trench system which extends far out into the Pacific Ocean. The trench has been formed as one of the Earth’s tectonic plates, the Hikurangi Plateau, slides beneath the Indo-Australian Plate.
Why is New Zealand having so many earthquakes?
Earthquakes in New Zealand occur because we are located on the boundary of two of the world’s major tectonic plates – the Pacific Plate and the Australian Plate. These plates are colliding with huge force, causing one to slowly grind over, under or alongside the other. Plate collision in New Zealand.
Which country has most tsunami?
Tsunamis occur most often in the Pacific Ocean and Indonesia because the Pacific Rim bordering the Ocean has a large number of active submarine earthquake zones.
What was the highest tsunami ever?
Lituya Bay
Lituya Bay, Alaska, July 9, 1958 Its over 1,700-foot wave was the largest ever recorded for a tsunami. It inundated five square miles of land and cleared hundreds of thousands of trees. Remarkably, only two fatalities occurred.
Is the Hikurangi subduction margin a tsunami risk?
The Hikurangi subduction margin, where the Pacific Plate subducts beneath the North Island of New Zealand, poses a major seismic and tsunami hazard to the New Zealand region, but its seismic and tsunami potential is largely unknown because of New Zealand’s short (< 170 years) historical record of seismicity.
Can a 9.0 earthquake hit the Hikurangi?
Strong similarities between the subduction zones of the Hikurangi margin and the Japan Trench suggest that a giant MW 9.0 earthquake similar to the 2011 Tōhoku-Oki earthquake may be possible for the Hikurangi margin. Such an event would generate a large tsunami that would inundate much of the east coast of the North Island.
Is the Hikurangi subduction zone moving or moving?
And while some still debate how big a role the southern Hikurangi subduction zone played in the 7.8-magnitude earthquake, they agree it is now moving. The Hikurangi subduction zone runs offshore from the east of Gisborne to the top of the south and would be capable of a devastating earthquake and tsunami. The aftermath of the big Kaikōura quake.
When did the Hikurangi slip during the Kaikoura earthquake?
During a slow-slip earthquake triggered by the Kaikoura quake in November 2016, the Hikurangi slipped about 10cm in a week. Unfortunately, it will be years before scientists get hold of the data. They’ll have to return to the observatories to physically collect the data with an underwater vehicle.