NEW research has identified an active fault near New Zealand’s largest city, suggesting earthquake risk for Auckland may be higher than previously understood.
The Mangatangi Fault, running along the Hunua Ranges about 50 kilometres south of the city, is capable of generating an earthquake of up to magnitude 6.8, said a press release by the University of Auckland on Wednesday.
The study, published in the New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, found the fault has ruptured within the past 10,000 years. Any fault that has moved in the past 125,000 years is considered active.
“If the whole fault ruptured, there would likely be serious consequences for people living in South Auckland, and possibly further into central Auckland as well,” said geologist James Muirhead from the University of Auckland, the study’s co-author.
This is the first time a faultline in the Auckland region has been radiocarbon dated, highlighting limited knowledge of its seismic history, Muirhead said, adding that Auckland’s hazard “may be significantly higher than the public and policymakers believe”. — Xinhua