Story: Active faults

Active faults in New Zealand

Many fault lines cut the ground’s surface in New Zealand; each past fault movement would have been accompanied by a large earthquake. Those that are considered likely to move again in the future are called active faults. They are known to have ruptured the ground surface at least once in the last 120,000 years. This map effectively shows the areas where future earthquakes are most likely.

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Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

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Source: GNS Science

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How to cite this page:

Eileen McSaveney, 'Active faults - What is an active fault?', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/zoomify/4345/active-faults-in-new-zealand (accessed 28 March 2024)

Story by Eileen McSaveney, published 12 Jun 2006, reviewed & revised 1 Aug 2017