New Zealand Earthquake. Since 1996, the RMS? New Zealand Earthquake model has been utilized by insurers, reinsurers, and capital markets constituents to evaluate and transfer New Zealand earthquake risk.
New Zealand is situated in the South Pacific Ocean, above the Pacific and Indian tectonic plates. The convergence of these huge crustal masses have raised and split New Zealand, shaping its landscape into two separate islands. Active volcanoes and frequent earthquakes are constant reminders of the earth’s force around New Zealand, New Zealand Earth Quake.
The country’s tectonic diversity results in numerous earthquakes, shallow and deep, on land and offshore. On average, New Zealand experiences one M6 earthquake per year, one M7 or greater per decade, and one M8 or greater per century.
Major events that occurred in New Zealand Earth Quake over the last century include the 1929 Murchison and 1931 Hawke’s Bay Earthquakes. The Murchison New Zealand Earth Quake triggered numerous landslides, and the Hawke’s Bay event spawned fires that caused massive damage as they swept through Napier. More recently, the 1987 Bay of Plenty New Zealand Earth Quake measuring Ml6.3 hit the town of Edgecumbe on the north coast of the North Island. The shallow event was intensified by numerous cases of ground rupture and liquefaction in the area, with losses estimated at US$350 million (in 1996 dollars).
The worst New Zealand Earth Quake to occur in the area was the 1885 rupture of the Wairarapa Fault. The estimated M8.3 event rocked the North Island resulting in 12.2 meters of horizontal displacement and 2.7 meters of vertical displacement of the fault. The vertical displacement caused an uplift that drained swamps at the mouth of the Hutt Valley. A repeat of New Zealand Earth Quake is considered to be one of the worst-case events for the Wellington region. Because of the poor soil quality in many areas of the city and high exposure concentration, Wellington is particularly vulnerable to New Zealand Earth Quake.
New Zealand Earth Quake Model Highlights
Building vulnerability curves developed based on RMS research, local expert opinion, and input from the Institute of Geological & Nuclear Sciences (of New Zealand)
Includes local/regional construction differences, and incorporates building code changes in 1955 and 1976 following the first national seismic design codes in 1935
38 source regions, and 5 specific Wellington area faults are modeled for scenario analysis
High resolution soil data for Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Nelson
New Zealand Earth Quake Geographic Scope
All of New Zealand
New Zealand Earth Quake Exposure Data Resolution
New Zealand Earth Quake data input supported at the following levels of resolution: latitude-longitude, area unit (city district equivalent), city, territorial local authority (TLA, county equivalent), and CRESTA zone
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New Zealand Earth Quake Links:
3 February, 1931 New Zealand Napier Earth Quake
Seismicity of the Australia, Indonesia and New Zealand
The New Zealand current Earth Quake
