PIA21210 - Satellite Radar Show Complex Set of Faults Moved in 2016 New Zealand Earthquake

The Kekerengu Fault is an active dextral (right lateral) strike-slip fault in the northeastern part of South Island, New Zealand. It is closely associated with the

Hope Fault The Hope Fault is an active dextral (right lateral) strike-slip fault in the northeastern part of South Island, New Zealand. It forms part of the Marlborough Fault System, which accommodates the transfer of displacement along the oblique convergen ...

and Jordan Thrust at its south-easternmost edge and likely joins with the

Clarence Fault The Clarence Fault is an active fault, active dextral (right lateral) Fault (geology)#Strike-slip faults, strike-slip fault in the northeastern part of South Island, New Zealand. It forms part of the Marlborough Fault System, which accommodates th ...

to form the

Wairarapa Fault The Wairarapa Fault is an active seismic fault in the southern part of the North Island of New Zealand. It is a dextral (right lateral) strike-slip fault with a component of uplift to the northwest as expressed by the Rimutaka Range. It forms par ...

offshore in

Cook Strait Cook Strait ( mi, Te Moana-o-Raukawa) separates the North and South Islands of New Zealand. The strait connects the Tasman Sea on the northwest with the South Pacific Ocean on the southeast. It is wide at its narrowest point,McLintock, A H, ...

. Early investigations immediately following the 14 November

2016 Kaikōura earthquake The 2016 Kaikoura earthquake was a magnitude 7.8 (Mw) earthquake in the South Island of New Zealand that occurred two minutes after midnight on 14 November 2016 NZDT (11:02 on 13 November UTC). Ruptures occurred on multiple faults and the e ...

indicate that up to of motion may have occurred on the Kekerengu Fault during the 7.8 magnitude quake. During this earthquake the offshore continuation of the Kekerengu Fault to the north east, known as the Needles Fault, ruptured as well.

NIWA The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research or NIWA ( mi, Taihoro Nukurangi), is a Crown Research Institute of New Zealand. Established in 1992, NIWA conducts research across a broad range of disciplines in the environmental scienc ...

marine geologist Dr Philip Barnes said the length of the Kekerengu–Needles Fault rupture may extend for about , consisting of on land and under the sea.

References

Seismic faults of New Zealand Plate tectonics Strike-slip faults {{Geology-stub