A geologist has warned that a fault off the east coast of New Zealand could trigger a megathrust earthquake and tsunami similar to the Japan event of 2011.
A quake of this nature in Wellington is estimated to cost $13billion, with more than 3500 deaths. (Source: Other)
GNS Scientist Ursula Cochran told the Marlborough Express the effect of a major quake in the Hikurangi subduction zone, which runs off the coast from east cape to Kaikoura, could be extreme.
"We need to think Japan 2011 basically, because if our whole plate boundary ruptured it would be a magnitude-9 earthquake," Ms Cochran said.
She said while the Kaikoura earthquake in 2015 was obviously very strong, it was not the worst the fault could muster.
Seismologist Bill Fry says the megathrust quake could be "catastrophic" and cause widespread damage in major centres like Wellington and Auckland. (Source: Other)
"One thing about reflecting on from the Kaikoura earthquake is we don't want people to think this is the big one," she said.
Ms Cochran warned that those living in coast communities would have very little time to escape from a tsunami following a powerful quake on the Hikurangi subduction zone.
"We know from tsunami modelling from a hypothetical earthquake from the Hikurangi subduction zone that the travel times could be very short to the coast, so seven minutes for some of the south Wairarapa coast," Ms Cochrane said.
A quake of this nature in Wellington is estimated to cost $13billion, with more than 3500 deaths. (Source: Other)
Civil Defence yesterday tested a new nation-wide mobile phone alert system which would be employed during natural disasters like earthquakes and tsunami.
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