Tsunami hazard from lacustrine mass wasting in Lake Tekapo, New Zealand

Abstract

Abstract Lacustrine-tsunami risk from landslides can be significant yet for most locations globally the hazard remains unquantified. Lake Tekapo, in the tectonically active mountain belt of New Zealand's South Island, has been chosen to develop surveying and modelling techniques to assess the hazard from landslide tsunamis. Lake Tekapo is ideal for this study due to the high sedimentation rates, steep surrounds and the proximity to active faulting that indicate a high landslide potential. The shoreline tourist settlement and hydropower infrastructure mean the impact of any tsunami could be significant. In 2016 a survey was carried out to collect high-resolution (1 m grid) EM2040 multibeam bathymetry, high-resolution seismic reflection data (Boomer and chirp) and 6 m long sediment cores. These data reveal a diverse range of sedimentary processes in response to high sediment input and numerous landslides with varied styles of emplacement. For example, a one-off landslide initiated 40 m above the shoreline with debris deposits that have runout onto the lake floor to 100 m water depth contrasts with the Cass River delta on the western shore that has failed multiple times during the lake-basin infilling history. Landslide-generated tsunami scenarios are used to determine the relative hazard at different regions of the lake to guide development of a probabilistic tsunami model.