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New Zealand Community Fault Model–Towards Version 1.0

There has been a long-identified need in New Zealand for a community developed fault model that is accessible and available to all. GNS Science has long maintained products such as the Active Fault Database, related Active Fault Model, and QMAP, which provide a significant amount of basic fault information. However, a three-dimensional fault model that represents New Zealand’s best scientific knowledge that can easily be used or adapted for multiple scientific and practical uses is not presently available.

The New Zealand Community Fault Model (NZ CFM) will serve as a unified and foundational resource for many societally important applications such as the New Zealand National Seismic Hazard model, Resilience to Natures Challenges Earthquake and Tsunami programme, physics-based fault systems modelling, earthquake ground-motion simulations, and tsunami hazard evaluation.

The NZ CFM is an object-oriented, three-dimensional representation of active faults in New Zealand and adjacent offshore regions. The model presently incorporates more than 600 objects (i.e., faults), which include triangulated surface representations of those faults and associated meta-data such as slip rate and movement type. The NZCFM faults are defined based on surface traces, seismicity, seismic reflection profiles, wells, and geologic cross sections following methodologies developed by SCEC.

Precise fault system geometries better define earthquake source parameters, such as the fault surface area and orientation, and have been shown to have an important influence on slip rate estimates derived from geodetic constraints and on earthquake rupture dynamics.

We present an initial model developed from an existing 2D fault model published in 2014, the formulation, parameterisation and documentation of that model in 3D; and the availability of that model in a readily accessible form(s) to support and facilitate multiple realisations and varied applications.

More information about this project can be found at: https://www.gns.cri.nz/Home/Our-Science/Natural-Hazards-and-Risks/Earthquakes/Community-Fault-Model

Presenting Author: Russ J. Van Dissen

Student Presenter: No

Day: 4/21/2021

Time: 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM Pacific

Additional Authors