Wairau Fault

[3] Depending on the precise definition used, the Wairau Fault runs either from southern or northern end of 'The Bends' region.

It has been stated that "Co-rupture of the Wairau and Alpine faults during great earthquakes occurs rarely (if at all) on millennial or longer timescales.

"[1] There was an event confined to the coastal and off shore portions of the fault that is poorly constrained in time but is between 970 and 1750 BP, and was about 6 MW.

[1] From the offset of dated river terraces a displacement of 23 m (75 ft) has been estimated along the Wairau Fault since about 5610 years BP.

[1] The average recurrence interval for surface disrupting earthquakes along the land portion of the fault is about 1000 years.

The eastern end of the Wairau Fault reaches the sea at the outlet of the Wairau River in Cloudy Bay in this view from the north east. The hills beyond the fault line that runs along the Wairau River (middle of photo) are the Richmond Range.