Where are the fault lines in nh?

Answer 1

No, Auckland is not on a fault line. New Zealand's active fault lines begin around Fiordland, travel along Marlborough and from there they go from Wellington just up to Taupo and then off to the right. So, Auckland is really no where near a fault line.

Earthquakes in other parts of New Zealand have previously been felt in Auckland, but never in a way strong enough to cause even minor damage.

Us Aucklanders need not worry about quakes.

Travelling out of Auckland I saw a small faultline in a cutting round about Papatoetoe - don't be too complacent - those volcano0es are not just for aesthetic purposes - they say (especially Rangitoto) that business is not finished in the Auckland Region.

Answer 2

The largest fault is the Alpine Fault running most of the length of the South Island and continuing through the North Island to join up with the Kermadec Trench in the NE of New Zealand.

This otherwise straight line fault breaks up into a number of parallel faults between north Canterbury and the east of the North Island.

In addition there are hundreds of smaller faults, the whole process being driven by tectonic forces.

There is some thought that the Alpine Fault is a displaced part of one of the Transcurrent Faults that run at 90 deg to the main Mid Ocean Ridge (sea floor spreading) in the south eastern Pacific.

Answer 3

The Great Alpine Fault which traverses the South island is the best known, but really there are hundreds of faults, many considered active or at least recent.

The website gns.cri.nz will have much information under seismic, and will repay a visit.

Answer 4

The Alpine Fault runs through New Zealand, and may be a displaced transcurrent fault of the Pacific Mid Ocean Ridge.

In the south, the Australian Plate subducts below the Pacific Plate. In the north, the Pacific Plate subducts below the Australian one.

The major region of uplift is the Southern Alps, between these two subduction zones.

Answer 5

The essential part of this question is the word active. What constitutes active?

For example, the Alpine Fault is known to have produced four earthquakes greater then force 8 in the last 1000 years. The last in 1717. Average interval of 250 years.

Since almost 300 years have elapsed since the last major movement, does that mean that the Alpine Fault is no longer active?

That would be considered a brave (or perverse) stance to defend.

To the point of the question, in most of New Zealand you'd be likely to be within 20km of a fault, and as the recent Canterbury earthquakes have shown, even significant faults may lie buried under recent gravels.

All communities and individuals in New Zealand must be well prepared for a significant earthquake. [And a tsunamiif within cooee of the coast.]

Answer 6

There is a fault line that runs from Canada, down to Berlin, to Franklin, down to Concord and it twists into Maine and up the Atlantic. This fault is very old and not very active, the biggest on this fault happend on June 15, 1973 (5.2) in Canada. Most are smaller like around the 3.0-4,0 range.

Answer 7

The fault lines in New Zealand are geographical lines which directly get affected due the shift between tectonic plates. These lines cut through the center of New Zealand.