Geological hazards

It is well known that earthquakes can trigger tsunami but they can also be caused by landslides – with devastating effects.

Since the end of June, a barge has been stationed just off Wellington’s Miramar Peninsula drilling into the seabed to find an alternative water source for the city.

NIWA scientists have found signs of recovery in the Kaikōura Canyon seabed, 10 months after powerful submarine landslides triggered by the November earthquake wiped out organisms living in and on the seabed.

Imagine if you could foresee what would happen to your home in a severe flood or tsunami, and then work out how to prevent or reduce the impact before any such event occurred.

Dog Island levels

The New Zealand Palaeotsunami Database (Database) brings together all known information about tsunamis that occurred prior to written records.

Antarctica is experiencing stunning skyscapes like those recently seen in New Zealand, thanks to the afterglow effect from the Tongan volcano.

Tsunami is a Japanese word meaning great wave in harbour.

Understanding how hazards impact people and the environment provides the foundation for informed decision making for a resilient Pacific.

New Zealand faces a variety of hazards associated with undersea geological activity.

The scientific records of palaeotsunamis to have affected New Zealand shores can now be accessed in a new one-stop information shop.