Abstract
The literature has been searched for accounts of liquefaction during historic earthquakes in New Zealand. About 30 fairly clear cases of liquefaction were found in 10 earthquakes since 1843. The 1848 Marlborough and the 1931 Napier earthquakes appear to have caused the most widespread occurrences. Both were large earthquakes in regions with extensive saturated fine-grained alluvial deposits. Since liquefaction has only recently been recognised as a distinct phenomenon, evidence of its occurrence was not expressly searched for in early investigations, and it is possible that many instances have gone unrecorded. Therefore it is likely that liquefaction has been more pervasive than the 30 clear cases suggest. With the exception of the M ≥ 6, 1895 Taupo earthquake which liquefied a pumice soil, all have occurred in earthquakes with magnitudes of at least 6.9. However, some larger earthquakes, most notably the 1929, M = 7.8 Murchison earthquake, have produced no records of liquefaction that we could find. Given the uncertainties of early epicentral locations, the New Zealand cases are consistent with the expression of Kuribayashi and Tatsuoka (1975) for distance to the farthest site of liquefaction, although the number of cases is too small to establish the correctness of the relationship under New Zealand conditions.
Highlights
Seismic liquefaction of sands has been studied intensively during the past 20 years following the dramatic failures in the Niigata and Alaskan earthquakes of 1 964, and it is recognised that liquefaction is a fairly common seismic effect and one with great potential for destruction
Given the uncertainties of early epicentral locations, the New Zealand cases are consistent with the expression of Kuribayashi and Tatsuoka (1975) for distance to the farthest site of liquefaction, the number of cases is too small to establish the correctness of the relationship under New Zealand conditions
Clear cases have been included in the catelogue below; because of the scarcity of observations, it is likely that many occurrences have gone unreported and that liquefaction has been more widespread than the catalogue suggests
Summary
Seismic liquefaction of sands has been studied intensively during the past 20 years following the dramatic failures in the Niigata and Alaskan earthquakes of 1 964 , and it is recognised that liquefaction is a fairly common seismic effect and one with great potential for destruction. Details of the search are presented by Fairless (1984), together with descriptions of the major historic New Zealand earthquakes, and some information about other seismic effects besides liquefaction. Other reports quoted by Eiby indicate liquefaction near the site of the present Wairau Pa, about 8 kilometres from the river mouth. The Reverend R Taylor's journal of 1847-48, quoted by Eiby, records accounts of water ejection and sand boils at Waikanae and at a beach near Ohau, Manawatu. Thrust out a full 3 feet" (Eiby, quoting the "New Zealand Spectator", 6 December 1848) It appears that liquefaction was quite widespread in the lower Wairau Valley during the 1848 earthquake, and that it was found at various places along the west coast of the North Island as far north as Wanganui, a distance of nearly 200 kilometres from the epicentre.
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