Story: Wairarapa region

Wairarapa fault

Wairarapa fault

The Wairarapa fault runs up the centre of this image, in which Lake Wairarapa is at top left. In 1855 New Zealand’s largest recorded earthquake occurred on the fault. Measuring magnitude 8.2, the quake uplifted the land by as much as 6.4 metres and moved it horizontally up to 18 metres.

Using this item

GNS Science
Reference: CN8414/22
Photograph by Lloyd Homer

Permission of GNS Science must be obtained before any use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

Ben Schrader, 'Wairarapa region - Land and climate', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/12064/wairarapa-fault (accessed 20 April 2024)

Story by Ben Schrader, updated 1 Mar 2017