Geological hazards

NIWA studies marine geological hazards, including earthquakes, submarine landslides and tsunami, volcanic eruptions, seafloor scour, sediment transport and shallow gas.

Tonga eruption and tsunami shock the world - Vimeo
The Hunga-Tonga Hunga-Ha'apai (HT-HH) volcano was like a massive shotgun blast from the deep, generating the biggest atmospheric explosion recorded on Earth in more than 100 years. Funded by The Nippon Foundation, NIWA and SEA-KIT surveyed over 22,000km2 surrounding the volcano, including mapping 14,000km2 of previously unmapped seafloor as part of The Nippon Foundation GEBCO Seabed 2030 project.

  • New Zealand to have world-leading hazard risk modelling tool

    Media release
    EQC, GNS Science and NIWA have joined forces to further develop world-leading natural hazards risk modelling for New Zealand.
  • NIWA mapping Whakatipu lake floor

    Media release
    NIWA researchers are out on Lake Whakatipu for the next week mapping the lake floor for the first time.
  • Tracing tsunamis through history

    Weaving whakapapa and science together to trace tsunami through history.
  • Scientists confirm former site of Pink and White Terraces

    Media release
    The diary and hand-drawn maps of a nineteenth century geologist has enabled NIWA scientists to confirm the former site of the iconic Pink and White Terraces at Lake Rotomahana.
  • Kaikōura earthquake provides world-first insight into submarine canyons

    Feature story
    Research conducted after the 2016, 7.8 magnitude Kaikōura earthquake has provided scientists with an extremely rare opportunity to understand the processes that shape submarine canyons.
  • Drones watch quake aftermath

    Feature story
    NIWA scientists like Leigh Tait were saddened by the human impact of the 2016 Kaikoura earthquake, but he also says that it provided a “massive natural history experiment”.
  • Drone survey of Kaikoura uplifted rockpools

  • 2018 - OBS Recovery

    Voyage
    The RV Tangaroa is assisting in New Zealand’s largest ever deployment of seafloor earthquake recording instruments in a bid to learn more about the earthquake behaviour of the tectonic plates beneath the east coast of the North Island.
  • Kaikōura earthquake generated huge submarine sediment shift

    Media release
    The 2016 Kaikōura Earthquake has shown that more than 100 million dumptrucks of mud and sand flow through the Kaikōura Canyon every 140 years, scientists say.
  • View of Mount Hikurangi from offshore. Looking West. photo taken from R.V. Tangaroa in May. 2001

    2017 - Hikurangi subduction zone

    The Tangaroa assisted in New Zealand’s largest ever deployment of seafloor earthquake recording instruments in a bid to learn more about the earthquake behaviour of the tectonic plates beneath the east coast of the North Island.
  • NIWA co-leads international expedition to study New Zealand’s largest earthquake fault

    Media release
    An ambitious scientific expedition involving 30 scientists from around the world leaves Perth next week bound for the East Coast of the North Island.
  • DART buoy

    2017 - NOAA tsunami warning station

    A tsunami reporting station situated in the Pacific Ocean that is currently off line is to be upgraded in a joint operation involving New Zealand and United States government agencies.