Scientists from four countries will start dropping highly sensitive devices off the east coast of the North Island on Tuesday to measure movements in the Earth’s crust.
There will be 100 of the devices, known as seismometers, which will be dropped from NIWA’s research ship Tangaroa, to help scientists learn more about tectonic movement in what is called the Hikurangi subduction zone.
This marks the boundary of the Pacific and Australian tectonic plates, and is one of this country’s most significant faultlines.
GNS Science said the plate was capable of producing a 8.5-magnitude earthquake — a shake big enough to cause massive damage and generate a tsunami.
The project involves scientists from New Zealand, Japan, the US, and the UK, and is aimed at better understanding the potential threat from the Hikurangi subduction zone.
