Alpine Fault
The Alpine Fault
Investigate the evidence relating to geological event(s)
Micheal Munro
AS91412
Intro
The Alpine fault is the boundary of the Pacific oceanic plate and the continental Australian plate. It is located almost through the entire south island of New Zealand extending about 600 Km across it1. It is one of the world’s major geological features and is responsible for the amazing Southern Alps. Each time it has ruptured it has moved both vertically as well as horizontally. Some believe it has lifted the Southern Alps in the process up to 20 kilometres in the last million years but cut down in height by erosion2.
The Alpine Fault is a strike slip fault. In this case the Australian plate is sliding horizontally towards the northeast, at the same time as the pacific plate is pushing up forming the Southern Alps, raising them 7 millimetres each year.10 The Horizontal movement along the fault is not smooth, as both sides are locked together. When tectonic forces overcome this locking the fault slips, jumping up to a distance of 8 metres at a time. This is what causes the earthquakes of the Alpine Fault.
The alpine fault was originally believed to be responsible for four major ruptures in the last 1000 years. These occurred in approximately 1100, 1450, 1620 and 1717 CE, at intervals between 100 and 350 years. These ruptures were as big as magnitude 8 on the Richter scale3.
Since the rupturing of the Alpine fault is believed to be reoccurring in a pattern, scientists believe that the Alpine fault is likely to go off in the next 50 years. This would ultimately cause unthinkable devastation. This is why the dating of the Alpine fault is important. Because the more accurate the dating of the previous ruptures the more accurate they can predict the next rupture. This is why scientists are comprehensively studying the Fault with urgency. It is right under our feet, a ticking time bomb.
History
Harold
Investigate the evidence relating to geological event(s)
Micheal Munro
AS91412
Intro
The Alpine fault is the boundary of the Pacific oceanic plate and the continental Australian plate. It is located almost through the entire south island of New Zealand extending about 600 Km across it1. It is one of the world’s major geological features and is responsible for the amazing Southern Alps. Each time it has ruptured it has moved both vertically as well as horizontally. Some believe it has lifted the Southern Alps in the process up to 20 kilometres in the last million years but cut down in height by erosion2.
The Alpine Fault is a strike slip fault. In this case the Australian plate is sliding horizontally towards the northeast, at the same time as the pacific plate is pushing up forming the Southern Alps, raising them 7 millimetres each year.10 The Horizontal movement along the fault is not smooth, as both sides are locked together. When tectonic forces overcome this locking the fault slips, jumping up to a distance of 8 metres at a time. This is what causes the earthquakes of the Alpine Fault.
The alpine fault was originally believed to be responsible for four major ruptures in the last 1000 years. These occurred in approximately 1100, 1450, 1620 and 1717 CE, at intervals between 100 and 350 years. These ruptures were as big as magnitude 8 on the Richter scale3.
Since the rupturing of the Alpine fault is believed to be reoccurring in a pattern, scientists believe that the Alpine fault is likely to go off in the next 50 years. This would ultimately cause unthinkable devastation. This is why the dating of the Alpine fault is important. Because the more accurate the dating of the previous ruptures the more accurate they can predict the next rupture. This is why scientists are comprehensively studying the Fault with urgency. It is right under our feet, a ticking time bomb.
History
Harold