Abstract
Abstract The Molesworth section comprises a 55 km long, N72°E‐striking reach of the 175 km long dextral‐reverse(?) Awatere Fault, which has an overall trend of N55–60°E. Well‐preserved fault scarps display normal‐oblique slip, with vertical offsets up to 30 m and horizontal offsets up to 72 m on latest glacial terraces (age c. 10 000 yr B.P.), equating to a mean slip rate of c. 8 mm/yr. The two latest paleo‐carthquakes on the main fault trace are bracketed by 14C and weathering‐rind age estimates of 522–597 cal. yr B.P. and c. 2500–4500 years ago, respectively, and display single‐event horizontal offsets of 6–8 and 4–8 m. The two latest paleoearthquakes on the 9.5 km long upper Wairau splay fault yield sufficiently different ages (751–873 cal. yr B.P. and 1296–2923 cal. yr B.P.) that they are inferred to be different from the events on the main trace. The large displacements per event imply ruptures much longer than the 55 km length of the Molesworth section. This disparity suggests that this geometricall...
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
