Watch: Seabed raised following Kaikoura 7.8 earthquake

A scientist has shared an up-close look at how last week's 7.8 quake hoisted up Kaikoura's coastline.

In a new video posted by GeoNet, Dr Kelvin Berryman of GNS Science observed how some parts of the seabed had been lifted up by metres.

Looking at the fault scarp, Berryman estimated the fault would have ruptured at a speed of three kilometres a second.

He said locals reported not the sound of the earthquake shaking, but the noise of the water running off the raised platform.

"They said the noise was just horrendous."

Scientists are continuing to investigate the earthquake's coastal uplift and what it means for New Zealand's geology.