Scientists are a step nearer to predicting where major earthquakes will strike following an extensive survey in the volcanic coastal region of the Bay of Plenty.
At present the likely occurrence of a tremor is based on the 160-year historical record of earthquakes and prehistoric data from over 300 active faults.
But the new data from the ocean bed survey of New Zealand's coast will help update a new seismic "hazard model" and should make estimating the likelihood of future earthquakes and shaking easier.
In the Bay of Plenty, researchers from the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research carried out two separate studies.
They discovered scores of small geological faults and were able to map out a number of known others that had the potential to fracture and trigger a large quake capable of shaking Tauranga and other principal cities in the Western Bay.
Although Tauranga is not considered a high-risk area, geologists say it could suffer a damaging shake if a major earthquake struck the Eastern Bay where the probability of a quake strike is greater.
- BAY OF PLENTY TIMES
