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A team of earthquake scientists is digging huge holes at Palliser Bay to better understand this kind of natural disaster. In 1885, the region was hit by a tsunami up to 11m high after the 8.2 magnitude Wairarapa earthquake, and scientists are working with iwi to identify other past earthquakes. “We will be working closely with archaeologists and local iwi as this site has substantial remnants from old Māori settlements,” Litchfield said. “It is unclear why and when the local Māori population left this area, but some archaeologists believe the sudden departure could have been triggered by a tsunami, so it will be interesting to see if we can find out more about that.”
Ancient shellfish to reveal quake dates 15 Apr 2021 10:39 AM
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A scientific dig along the south Wairarapa coast could fill in come gaps about Māori occupation of the area.
The main purpose of the multi-site project is to date past earthquakes and tsunami to give better understanding of the risks facing the greater Wellington region.
GNS Science earthquake geologist and project lead, Dr Nicola Litchfield, says as they dig pits the scientists will look for shellfish that died in each event.
By carbon-dating those shells they can determine when those earthquakes occurred.
She says the scientists are working with iwi to identify past earthquakes.
Digging holes could be key to unearthing secrets about earthquakes and tsunamis
Digging holes could be key to unearthing secrets about earthquakes and tsunamis 14 April 2021
Scientists are digging pits at Cape Palliser in the Wairarapa, to see how seismic events impacted the area.
The project is funded by EQC, emergency management, and Wellington city council, and aims to help communities prepare for future events.
Project leader Dr Nicola Litchfield says things like carbon-dating shellfish help them establish timelines for events - and what fault lines caused them.
She says it will help them figure out how it impacted communities there at the time.
Wednesday, 14 April 2021, 11:57 am
Scientists have started digging several pits along the
south Wairarapa Coast to unearth the secrets of previous
earthquakes and tsunamis to better understand future risks
to the greater Wellington region.
The research near
Cape Palliser is part of
It’s Our Fault, a project
funded by the Earthquake Commission (EQC), Wellington City
Council and Wellington Region Emergency Management Office,
which studies the region’s earthquake hazards to help the
communities prepare for a natural disaster.
The
distinct natural terraces along the rugged Cape Palliser
coastline are a testament to the enormous forces pushing the
seafloor to the surface throughout the centuries, as