The Mw7.8 2016 Kaikōura earthquake: Surface fault rupture and seismic hazard context

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer-review

Authors

  • Mark W. Stirling
  • N. J. Litchfield
  • Pilar Villamor
  • R. J. Van Dissen
  • A. Nicol
  • J. Pettinga
  • P. Barnes
  • R. M. Langridge
  • T. Little
  • D. J.A. Barrell
  • J. Mountjoy
  • W. F. Ries
  • J. Rowland
  • C. Fenton
  • I. Hamling
  • C. Asher
  • A. Barrier
  • A. Benson
  • A. Bischoff
  • J. Borella
  • R. Carne
  • U. A. Cochran
  • M. Cockroft
  • S. C. Cox
  • G. Duke
  • F. Fenton
  • C. Gasston
  • C. Grimshaw
  • D. Hale
  • B. Hall
  • K. X. Hao
  • A. Hatem
  • M. Hemphill-Haley
  • D. W. Heron
  • J. Howarth
  • Z. Juniper
  • T. Kane
  • J. Kearse
  • N. Khajavi
  • G. Lamarche
  • S. Lawson
  • B. Lukovic
  • C. Madugo
  • I. Manousakis
  • S. McColl
  • D. Noble
  • K. Pedley
  • K. Sauer
  • T. Stah

External Organisational units

  • University of Otago
  • GNS Science
  • University of Canterbury
  • NIWA
  • Victoria University of Wellington
  • University of Auckland
  • Massey University Manawatu
  • NIED
  • Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of California Berkeley
  • Humboldt State University
  • Geotechnical Extreme Events Reconnaissance (GEER)
  • Pacific Gas and Electric Company
  • ElxisGroup

Abstract

We provide a summary of the surface fault ruptures produced by the Mw7.8 14 November 2016 Kaikōura earthquake, including examples of damage to engineered structures, transportation networks and farming infrastructure produced by direct fault surface rupture displacement. We also provide an overview of the earthquake in the context of the earthquake source model and estimated ground motions from the current (2010) version of the National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) for New Zealand. A total of 21 faults ruptured along a c.180 km long zone during the earthquake, including some that were unknown prior to the event. The 2010 version of the NSHM had considered multi-fault ruptures in the Kaikōura area, but not to the degree observed in the earthquake. The number of faults involved a combination of known and unknown faults, a mix of complete and partial ruptures of the known faults, and the non-involvement of a major fault within the rupture zone (i.e. the Hope Fault) makes this rupture an unusually complex event by world standards. However, the strong ground motions of the earthquake are consistent with the high hazard of the Kaikōura area shown in maps produced from the NSHM.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)73-84
Number of pages12
JournalBulletin of the New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering
Volume50.2017
Issue number2
Publication statusPublished - 30 Jun 2017
Externally publishedYes