By JO-MARIE BROWN
Decisions on where homes can be built along the Bay of Plenty coastline could be shaped by a study assessing the risk of tsunamis in the area.
Scientists will begin collecting 4m-deep soil samples next month from the northern tip of the Coromandel peninsula through to Cape Runaway
as part of a three-year study commissioned by the Bay of Plenty and Waikato regional councils.
Environment BOP's regional civil defence officer Russ Martin said a series of underwater volcanoes located 1000km north of the coastline would always pose a potential tsunami threat.
"The question arises, what sort of effect would an eruption have on the sea and how much of a tsunami might that throw in towards the land?"
The rapid rate of urban development along flat stretches of the Bay of Plenty coastline concerned Mr Martin. He said the study's results could influence future residential developments and decisions on where major amenities should be built.
Experts from the Natural Hazards Centre, Niwa, the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences, and GeoEnvironmental Consultants would try to trace tsunami events in the area dating back 6000 years.
The soil samples would be taken from places that had been relatively undisturbed. Tsunami activity could be detected by soil marks and deposits of shells and other items from the sea floor, Mr Martin said.
"Once those soil profiles have given up their secrets then I think we will be in a much better position to start looking at the details of where our vulnerabilities are."
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