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 Otago moving South. Because of this during the mid 20th century it was speculated that the Alpine Fault creeps without making large earthquakes. Langridge J.G. The average slip rates in the fault's central region are about 38mm a year, very fast by global standards. Virginia currently works as a Professor at the University of Mainz. Wellman became a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand in 1954, and was awarded the Hector Memorial Medal and Prize in 1957 and the McKay Hammer Award in 1959. [1] This, along with isostatic constraints, has kept the Southern Alps less than 4000 m. Uplift on the Alpine Fault has led to the exposure of deep metamorphic rocks near the fault within the Southern Alps. Source: BBC Horizon (no audio) Alpine Fault Geology. This displacement was inferred by Wellman due in part to the similarity of rocks in Southland and Nelson on either side of the Alpine Fault. See all hours. The fault mover 30mm a year! When tectonic forces overcome this locking, the fault slips, jumping up to a distance of 8 metres at a time. Subject: Structural geology. How often does the Alpine Fault rupture? [ clarification needed ] Most of the movement along the fault occurs in this zone. The maximum perceived intensity was IX (Violent) on the Mercalli intensity scale' possibly reaching X (Extreme). A right-lateral strike-slip fault, that runs almost the entire length of New Zealand's South Island. The name "Southern Alps" generally refers to the entire range, although separate names are given to many of the smaller ranges that form part of it. By signing up, you'll get thousands of step-by-step solutions to your homework questions. He reasoned that further up stream there must be a boundary between the two rock types – but what was it? It forms part of the North Island Fault System, which accommodates the transfer of displacement along the oblique convergent boundary between the Indo-Australian Plate and Pacific Plate. There is paleotsunami evidence of near-simultaneous ruptures of the Alpine Fault and Wellington (and/or other major) faults to the North having occurred at least twice in the past 1,000 years. of the Alpine Fault R.M. We've known about the Alpine Fault for around 80 years. [26] [27] It was a $2.5 million international research project designed to drill 1.3 km to the fault plan in two months. Depuis le mois de juin, Alpine a diligenté trois nouvelles campagnes de rappel afin de corriger un potentiel défaut de fabrication sur l'Alpine A110. A total of 1112 aftershocks were recorded, ranging between magnitudes 2.0 and 4.9 on the Richter Scale. This includes mylonites and the Alpine Schist, which increases in metamorphic grade towards the fault. Scientists say that a similar earthquake could happen at any time as the interval since 1717 is longer than between the earlier events. Type: Full-length Release date: November 11th, 2011 Catalog ID: N/A Label: Independent Format: CD Reviews: None yet Songs; Lineup; Reviews; Additional notes; 1. This is not a regular pattern, but enough to suggest there is a high probability of a large earthquake in the next 50 years. How will the next Alpine Fault earthquake compare to the M7.1 Darfield earthquake of 4 September 2010? Virginia Toy is a New Zealand geologist who studies fault zones and earthquakes in New Zealand, Japan and Ecuador. Le temps de l'apprécier. [20] [21], In 1940 Harold Wellman found that the Southern Alps were associated with a fault line approximately 650 km (400 miles) long. New Zealand's early separation from other landmasses and subsequent evolution have created a unique fossil record and modern ecology. The Māori arrived in New Zealand c.1300 but never reached a high population density in the colder South Island. [25], The Deep Fault Drilling Project (DFDP) was an attempt in 2014 to retrieve rock and fluid samples and make geophysical measurements inside the Alpine Fault zone at depth. For every one unit increase in magnitude (e.g. Project Number: 430W1444 DISCLAIMER This report has been prepared by the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences Limited (GNS Science) exclusively for and under contract to West Coast Regional Council. The Alpine Fault quickly became accepted as a notable feature of the geology of New Zealand, and by 1948 was included on standard geological maps. It forms a transform boundary between the Pacific Plate and the Indo-Australian Plate. See this Interactive map of the Alpine Fault and links to a virtual field trip on the University of Otago Geology website. The Alpine Fault, which runs for about 600km up the spine of the South Island, is one of the world’s major geological features. The 1843 Whanganui earthquake occurred on 8 July at 16:45 local time with an estimated magnitude of 7.5 on the Mw scale. The mountains are rising at 7 millimetres a … The Japan Trench Fast Drilling Project (JFAST) was a rapid-response scientific expedition that drilled oceanfloor boreholes through the fault-zone of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake. [5] The Alpine Fault is not a single structure but often splits into pure strike-slip and dip-slip components. [2] At the same time, Harold Wellman proposed the 480 km (300 miles) lateral displacement on the Alpine Fault. The horizontal movement along the fault is not smooth, as both sides are locked together. The Alpine Fault is a geological fault, known as a right-lateral strike-slip fault, that runs almost the entire length of New Zealand's South Island. Guided educational tours to the natural exposure of the Alpine fault, at Gaunt Creek, near Whataroa, South Westland. We show that stresses transferred to the mid-crust during an Alpine Fault type earthquake may exert a first-order effect on localization in underlying ductile crust. The rock contains bands of melted rock that seeps into fractures. Researchers are studying the Alpine Fault to investigate past earthquakes, mountain formation and the structure of the Earth’s crust. [11] Over the last thousand years, there have been four major ruptures along the Alpine Fault causing earthquakes of about magnitude 8. The Alpine fault is the Pacific-Australian plate boundary in the South Island of New Zealand. Interactive map of the Alpine Fault and links to a virtual field trip, digging trenches to find buried evidence, such as landslides. St. Andreas Transform Fault Alpine Fault New Zealand The types of transform fault that are always the longest Oceanic Transform Fault Continental Transform Fault EXPLORING THE PLANETS 3 The crust type and general of thickness of the crust. Advisers: Sibson, R. Abstract: The section of the Alpine fault between the Cook and Karangarua Rivers provides further information on the structure of the fault zone. [16] A 2018 study says that a significant rupture in the Alpine Fault could lead to roads (particularly in or to the West Coast) being blocked for months, as with the 2016 Kaikoura earthquake, with problems in supplying towns and evacuating tourists. Pourtant, ce n'est pas la première fois que je l'essaye. using GPS to study small movements of nearby minor faults, and to measure growth of the Alps, using seismic data to find out how the many minor earthquakes in the area are linked to minor faults and the main Alpine Fault. The 1929 Arthur's Pass earthquake occurred at 10:50 pm NZMT on 9 March. If you want to do something different and have a passing interest in geology, then this is a ‘must do’ tour. It forms the sharp line separating the snow-covered Southern Alps in the east from the low coastal plain bordering the Tasman Sea in the west. The Alpine Fault is a geological fault, specifically a right-lateral strike-slip fault, that runs almost the entire length of New Zealand’s South Island. In New Zealand they are formed along the Alpine fault by earthquakes. At this point it splits into a set of smaller faults known as the Marlborough Fault System. This study analyzes 195 earthquakes recorded during the 6 month duration of the Southern Alps Passive Seismic Experiment (SAPSE) in 1995/1996 and two M₁. The uplift is due to an element of convergence between the plates, meaning that the fault has a significant high-angle reverse oblique component[ clarification needed ] to its displacement. Faille nord-anatolienne. There have been no major earthquakes on the Alpine Fault in historic times, its southern and northern offshoots have, however, experienced sizable earthquakes: In 2012, GNS Science researchers published an 8000-year timeline of 24 major earthquakes on the (southern end of the) fault from sediments at Hokuri Creek, near Lake McKerrow in north Fiordland. There have been no major historical earthquakes on the Alpine Fault. The council's emergency management team has been working with Selwyn communities to get ready. There have been no major earthquakes on the main portion of it. [1] The Southern Alps have been uplifted on the fault over the last 12 million years in a series of earthquakes. It forms part of the Marlborough Fault System, which accommodates the transfer of displacement along the oblique convergent boundary between the Indo-Australian Plate and Pacific Plate, from the transform Alpine Fault to the Hikurangi Trench subduction zone. [10] So while earthquakes are an important part of Māori oral tradition, no stories have been passed down about South Island earthquakes. The 1863 Hawke's Bay earthquake was a devastating magnitude 7.5 Mw earthquake that struck near the town of Waipukurau on 23 February 1863. The fault plane is usually vertical and can be horizontal. This fault has ruptured four times in the past 900 years, each time producing an earthquake of about magnitude 8. During the second phase of the Alpine Fault, Deep Fault Drilling Project (DFDP) in the Whataroa River, South Westland, New Zealand, bedrock was encountered in the DFDP-2B borehole from 238.5–893.2 m Measured Depth (MD). The 1848 Marlborough earthquake was a 7.5 earthquake that occurred at 1:40 a.m. on 16 October 1848 and whose epicenter was in the Marlborough region of the South Island of New Zealand. Avec notre A110 d'un week-end, pour la première fois, j'ai eu l'impression de prendre le temps avec une voiture. This set of faults, which includes the Wairau Fault, the Hope Fault, the Awatere Fault, and the Clarence Fault, transfer displacement between the Alpine Fault and the Hikurangi subduction zone to the north. [6] [7] Also near the surface the fault can have multiple rupture zones. The June quake was preceded by a magnitude 5.9 ML tremor that struck the region at a slightly deeper 8.9 km (5.5 mi). [22], Richard Norris and Alan Cooper from the Department of Geology, University of Otago conducted extensive research on the structure and petrology of the Alpine Fault respectively throughout the later 20th and early 21st centuries. Movement along the Alpine Fault is deforming the microcontinent of, Pacific Plate and Indo-Australian Plate boundary, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, "Alpine Fault / Major Faults in New Zealand / Earthquakes / Science Topics / Learning / Home – GNS Science", "New study says Alpine Fault quake interval shorter than thought: GNS Science", "Timing of late Holocene surface rupture of the Wairau Fault, Marlborough, New Zealand", "An extremely low-density human population exterminated New Zealand moa", "1. In the South Island of New Zealand, the boundary between the Australian and Pacific tectonic plates can be seen on land. Type: EP Release date: November 2005 Catalog ID: N/A Label: Independent Format: CD Reviews: None yet Preparing for an Alpine Fault earthquake. The Wellington Fault is an active seismic fault in the southern part of the North Island of New Zealand. [Chapter Break] After their ground­breaking paper on the Alpine Fault, Willett was posted to Invercargill and Wellman to another war­time project at d’Urville Island. It remained the single largest earthquake to strike Hawke's Bay until 1931, where a magnitude 7.8 quake leveled much of Napier and Hastings and killed 256 people. There is dextral strike-slip motion as well as convergence between the Australian and Pacific plates. [27] [28] One of the goals of the project was to use the deformed rocks from the fault zone to determine its resistance to stress. Tremors continued almost continuously until midnight and sporadic strong aftershocks were felt for several days. Richard H. Sibson from the same university also used the Alpine Fault to refine his nomenclature of fault rocks which gained international adherence. In Wellington, close to the epicenter, shaking lasted for at least 50 seconds. ", "DEEP FAULT DRILLING PROJECT-2 FAQs / drill probe in Alpine Fault / Media Releases / News and Events / Home – GNS Science", "Extreme hydrothermal conditions at an active plate-bounding fault", 2003 – Fiordland, estimated magnitude = 7.1. Geologically, this is a high probability. The Alpine Fault is the dominant structure defining the Australian-Pacific plate boundary in the South Island of New Zealand. dating trees buried by landslides using radiocarbon dating and tree growth rings (dendrochronology). [2] The last major earthquake on the Alpine Fault was in c. 1717 AD, the probability of another one occurring within the next 50 years is estimated at about 30 percent. 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. using ground penetrating radar to observe hidden evidence of uplift and horizontal movement. This survey will open in a new tab and you can fill it out after your visit to the site. Elisabeth, your guide, has a good knowledge of the Alpine Fault, and to be able to straddle 2 tectonic plates was a real moment to remember. Originally reported as magnitude 6.6 on the Richter Scale, the earthquake was later downgraded to a magnitude of 6.2. Holes were drilled for explosives, and when the explosives were set off, a multi-channel seismograph recorded the seismic waves. The Australian plate is sliding horizontally towards the north-east, at the same time as the Pacific plate is pushing up, forming the Southern Alps. [8]. Exemples de décrochements senestres Other New Zealand universities, GNS Science and overseas scientists are also interested in the Alpine Fault. A transform fault is a type of strike-slip fault at the boundary of two plates. These large earthquakes don’t happen very often – the last one was nearly 300 years ago. Some trees survive landslides, but the event is marked by unusual growth rings. Part 2 of Alpine Fault in Profile. In the new study, the interval between earthquakes ranged from 160 to 350 years and the probability of an earthquake occurring in the following 50 years was estimated at 29 per cent. This method can even indicate rocks rich in high-pressure water, the source of hot springs like those at Hanmer Springs. The Marlborough Fault System is a set of four large dextral strike-slip faults and other related structures in the northern part of South Island, New Zealand, which transfer displacement between the mainly transform plate boundary of the Alpine fault and the mainly destructive boundary of the Kermadec Trench, and together form the boundary between the Australian and Pacific Plates. 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. In the last 12 million years the Southern Alps have been uplifted approximately 20 kilometres, however, as this has occurred more rain has been trapped by the mountains leading to more erosion. [27] The DFDP was the second project to try to drill an active fault zone and return samples after the San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth. In this recording, Alpine fault drilling, part of Te Papa’s Science Express programme, hear about the deepest fault drilling ever done in New Zealand. This idea coupled with the displacement on the fault proposed that the earth's surface was in relatively rapid constant movement and helped to overthrow the old geosynclinal hypothesis in favour of plate tectonics. Famous examples of these include the San Andreas Fault of California, the Alpine Fault of New Zealand's south island, and the Anatolian Fault in Turkey Where will the next earthquake centred on the Alpine Fault begin? 1 ] the Alpine fault is the Pacific-Australian plate boundary in the part! 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