Glacier town at risk in next great New Zealand earthquake
Friday, August 21, 2020 - 09:00
in Earth & Climate
Running through the heart of New Zealand's glacier country is the infamous Alpine Fault. The 600 kilometer-long (370 mile) faultline on the boundary of the Eurasian and Pacific tectonic plates beneath the country's South Island produces infrequent but significant earthquakes. In the line of fire is the small town of Franz Josef, just 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the often-visited Franz Josef glacier in the Southern Alps or Kā Tiritiri o te Moana (the Maori name), a popular destination for visitors. New research affirms that the next magnitude 8.0 (M8) Alpine Fault rupture, which has a 30 percent chance of occurring in the next 50 years, would devastate Franz Josef.