This early scientific experiment shows us that the Alpine Fault does not move gradually – there has been no slow fault movement at this site. The fault line is where the Eurasian … The uplift to the southeast of the fault is due to an element of convergence between the plates, meaning that the fault has a significant high-angle reverse oblique component to its displacement. "By comparison, the Kaikōura Earthquake in 2016 ruptured a total fault length of … MC: Mount Cook (3764 m), the highest point of the Southern Alps; SWFZ: South Westland Fault Zone. It suggests that when the Alpine Fault moves, it most likely moves in large jumps of several metres and that this occurs in big earthquakes. 4 Appendix 1, WCRC Natural Hazards Resource Kit, Revised February 2012, M Trayes 1. Based on past trends, one would have to say that the Alpine Fault is due—and maybe overdue—for another major earthquake. North Canterbury residents will have a chance to hear from leading natural hazard scientist, Professor Tom Wilson of University Of Canterbury about the impacts and consequences of a future magnitude 8 earthquake along the Alpine Fault, and how people can become better prepared for it. The next Alpine Fault earthquake would likely also be a long-duration event – unzipping the crust for as much as three minutes - because of the sheer length of the fault. Big Alpine Fault rupture due in the next century or two The Alpine Fault is a big feature of South Island geography and seismic activity. At this locality you can see the surface trace of the Alpine Fault running across some grassy river terraces. Waimakariri District Council media release: 10th November 2020. Our Knowledge of the Alpine Fault: due to Technological Innovation 3. The Alpine Fault is believed to align with the Macquarie Fault Zone in the Puysegur Trench off the southwestern corner of the South Island. The Alpine Fault is overdue for an earthquake that could reshape the South Island, scientists say. Future Earthquake Predictions – based on all of the above. A wall was built across the fault here in the early 1960s to see if there was gradual slip along the fault. Scientists have dug trenches across the fault here … The Alpine Fault is shown by a heavy line; lighter lines are other faults thought to be active in the Quaternary. The Structural Geology of the Alpine Fault: the Scientific picture 4. 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 the next ‘Big One’ in the next fifty years. The Alpine Fault last got seriously testy in 1717 or thereabouts and before that, in descending order, 1620, 1430 and 1100. The Work of Pioneering Geologists The Alpine Fault runs right through the heart of New Zealand's glacier county on the country's south island. 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