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Earthquake Hazards
Earthquakes
The type of hazard depends on the strength of seismic activity, along with such factors as local topographic and built features,
Earthquakes at a subsurface geology and groundwater. A large earthquake will always be followed by a sequence of aftershocks.
Plate Boundary
New Zealands Largest Ground Shaking
Fault
If an earthquake generates a large enough shaking intensity,
Earthquakes and structures like buildings, bridges and dams can be severley
Faults
damaged, and cliffs and sloping ground destabilised. Perched
New Zealand or stacked objects may fall and injure or bury anyone close by.
Earthquakes
In the largest earthquakes whole districts can be devastated
Major Faults in New by the multiple consequences of ground shaking.
Zealand
Groundshaking will vary over an area due to such factors as
Monitoring topography, bedrock type, and the location and orientation of
Earthquakes
the fault rupture. These all affect the way the seismic waves
Earthquake Hazards travel through the ground. For an explanation of the
Earthquake - What to exceptional high energy of the Christchurch earthquakes in
do? 2011 have a look at this video.
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Links
Tsunamis are long wavelength oceanic waves generated by
the sudden displacement of seawater by a shallow
earthquake, volcanic eruption or submarine landslide. What is
it like to face a tsunami? Watch this video!

A number of waves may be produced and they can travel long

distances at high speeds to flood far-off shores. The height of
a tsunami varies and may be affected by the sea floor depth
and shape, and other factors. New Zealand is susceptible to
tsunamis originating from distance sources around the Pacific
Ring of Fire as well as from very close to our coastline. Near
source tsunamis will allow for very little warning.

Large earthquakes may generate tsunami waves in enclosed

water bodies such as lakes. In New Zealand there are large lakes that could be affected, for example Lakes Wakatipu and
Wanaka that are near to the Alpine Fault.

Landslides and Rockfalls

Groundshaking due to earthquakes destabilises cliffs and

steep slopes, causing landslides and rockfalls as a significant
side-effect. Heavy rain and unconsolidated or fractured rock
are exacerbating factors.

Check out this video about the Rockfall Impacts of the

Christchurch Quake,

and this one: Laser Scanning Christchurch Rockfalls

Subsidence and Lateral Spreading

Subsidence, or lowering of the ground surface, often occurs during earthquakes.

This may be due to downward vertical displacement on one side of a fault, and can sometimes affect a huge area of land.
Coastal areas can become permanently flooded as a result.

Subsidence can also occur as ground shaking causes loose sediments to “settle’ and to lose their load bearing strength (see
liquefaction, below) or to slump down sloping ground (see Landslides and Rockfalls).

Lateral spreading occurs where sloping ground starts to move downhill, causing cracks to open up, that are often seen along
hill crests and river banks.

Liquefaction

Liquefaction occurs when waterlogged sediments are agitated

by seismic shaking. This separates the grains from each other,
reducing their load bearing capacity. Buildings and other
structures can sink down into the ground or tilt over, whilst
underground pipes and tanks may rise up to the surface.

When the vibrations stop the sediments settle down again,

squeezing groundwater out of fissures and holes in the ground
to cause flooding. The aftermath of liquefaction can leave large
areas covered in a deep layer of mud.

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