In the wake of the 7.8 earthquakes that shook Kaikoura a group of leading scientists are surveying the east coast to help upgrade the national tsunami warning system. They say the coast is particularly prone to tsunami.
In the event of a large earthquake, the East Coast is right in the firing line for a tsunami.
Massey University Professor David Johnston says, “Coastal New Zealand is susceptible to tsunami risk from a number of sources and the east coast is vulnerable to the faults off the east coast but also from distant faults.”
GNS experts are surveying from the East Cape right through to Dunedin to understand how people responded to the Kaikoura earthquake.
“There is a project to review revise and upgrade the national warning system so this information is really vital to help get a better understanding about how we prepare communities to respond to a tsunami.”
The recent earthquake tested tsunami warning systems like this one in Te Awanga Hawke's Bay causing evacuations, and in Kaikōura it generated a 4m tsunami.
“So what we are finding and it's very encouraging for many people on feeding the long strong earthquake calculated who didn't felt the earthquake reported members of their community alerting them to the risk.”
The research will be used by various New Zealand agencies to help educate communities on how to prepare for an earthquake and tsunami.