New Zealand Active Fault Model

Database

This national-scale model for active faulting in New Zealand was completed in 2014. It summarises the understanding of fault kinematics in 15 tectonic domains and undertake some brief kinematic analysis including comparison of fault slip rates with GPS velocities.

Overview

Active fault traces are a surface expression of permanent deformation that accommodates the motion within and between adjacent tectonic plates. The model contains 635 simplified faults with tabulated parameters of their attitude (dip and dip-direction) and kinematics (sense of movement and rake of slip vector); net slip rate; and a quality code. Fault density and slip rates are, as expected, highest along the central plate boundary zone, but the model is undoubtedly incomplete, particularly in rapidly eroding mountainous areas and submarine areas with limited data. The active fault data presented are of value to a range of kinematic, active fault and seismic hazard studies.

This resource contains fault zone parameter descriptions, data files (KMZ and Shapefiles) and the accompanying report.

Explore the database

Cite as: Litchfield, N.J., Van Dissen, R., Sutherland, R., Barnes, P.M., Cox, S.C., Norris, R., Beavan, J., Langridge, R., Villamor, P., Berryman, K., Stirling, M., Nicol, A., Nodder, S., Lamarche, G., Barrell, D.J.A., Pettinga, J.R., Little, T., Pondard, N., Mountjoy, J.J., Clark, K., 2014, A model of active faulting in New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics 57 (1): 32-56. doi: 10.1080/00288306.2013.854256. (with data set available at DOI: https://doi.org/10.21420/W08T-TY11).

Nicola Litchfield Earthquake Geologist/Tectonic Geomorphologist

Nicola is a Principal Scientist in the Paleoseismology Team, based at Avalon, Lower Hutt. She studies past earthquakes and their impacts on the landscape, which in turn informs seismic hazard and risk. Research interests include understanding the formation of marine terraces and their use to record earthquakes along the Hikurangi Subduction Zone, understanding the interactions between upper plate faults and the Hikurangi subduction interface, and kinematics and behaviour of active faults in a variety of geological settings. Nicola is the science leader of the It’s Our Fault programme and is a key member of the NZ Community Fault Model and NZ National Seismic Hazard Model projects.

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New Zealand Active Fault Model

Database

Overview

Nicola Litchfield Earthquake Geologist/Tectonic Geomorphologist

Find more content related to:

GNS Science topics

Locations

Outdated browser

New Zealand Active Fault Model

Database

Overview

Nicola Litchfield Earthquake Geologist/Tectonic Geomorphologist

Find more content related to:

GNS Science topics

Locations

Related content