Kaikōura erosion monitoring holds answers for world's rock coastlines
Erosion rates on parts of the Kaikōura Peninsula more than doubled after the 2016 earthquake, showing major quakes can "rapidly alter" the way coastlines evolve, an Otago researcher says.
Earthquakes can rapidly alter coastlines, according to new research on the Kaikōura Peninsula in New Zealand. The study, published in Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, reveals that the magnitude 7.8 earthquake in 2016 caused erosion rates on parts of the peninsula to more than double. This finding shows that major seismic events can drastically reshape rock coastlines.
The Kaikōura Peninsula boasts the world's longest-running erosion monitoring record on any rock coastline, with data collected since 1973 by the late University of Canterbury professor Bob Kirk. The research, led by Otago University's Professor Wayne Stephenson, highlights the importance of real-time measurements in understanding how earthquakes reshape coastlines.
The study also found that evidence of past earthquakes may disappear more quickly than previously thought, emphasizing the need for ongoing monitoring to accurately reconstruct seismic histories and assess long-term seismic hazards.
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