Christchurch EQ Geology Fieldtrip

General instructions

Welcome to the Christchurch Active Tectonic and Geomorphology Field Trip! Regardless of whether you are taking this remotely, or plan on walking the self-guided tour with ArcCollector, I recommend working through this whole virtual field trip first. Along the way, you will watch lectures, read papers, browse in 3D, and answer a few questions. All up, this could take ~4 hours, not including the ArcGIS-based assignments. If you plan on walking the self-guided tour from Hagley Park through the CBD as well, please allow at least a half day.

Greendale Fault

The 2010-2012 Canterbury Earthquake Sequence (CES) started in September 2010 with the rupture of the Greendale Fault. Ten years later, we still feel minor tremors related to the redistribution of stress from this initial earthquake. In this introductory lecture, Jarg Pettinga and Mark Quigley provide an excellent overview of active tectonics research that took place in the midst of the CES. This provides a good introduction for the rest of the trip. Make yourself a cuppa and grab a snack because it's a full hour lecture!

Alluvial Fans

Christchurch’s late Pleistocene to Holocene geology are mostly related to interactions between

1. the course and sediment load of the Waikmakariri River and
2. sea level changes.

The alluvial fan units you’ll see in the geomorphological map (next) were mapped based on relative and absolute ages of fan surfaces, channels, and dunes. For example, the Halkett surface is older than the Yaldhurst surface, which represents the most recent deposition of alluvial fan gravels over the Christchurch region. Pause here to read the short article by Hughes et al., “The Sinking City: Earthquakes increase flood hazard in Christchurch, New Zealand”

When you click on the button below, you'll fly to the plains.

Fly to the plains

Christchurch Geology

In this next section we are going to spend a bit of time exploring different maps and layers around town. Some of you might wish to go out in the field using the self-guided trip. When you click on the button below, you'll fly to town!

Fly to Christchurch

Summary of your answers

This is the last stop - submitting your answers. Click on the button below and a form will be generated, you can then check your answers before submitting them all.

Generate answer sheet

Data, References, Resources, Acknowledgements

This trip was created by Dr. Tim Stahl (UC) and Dr. Jonathan Davidson (UC). GIS resources are hosted and provided by various sources, and the following organisations are kindly thanked:

• Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu
• Archives New Zealand
• Ngāi Tahu Kā Huru Manu project
• Land Information New Zealand
• Canterbury Maps
• Environment Canterbury
• Christchurch City Council
• Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority
• Tonkin & Taylor
• University of Canterbury
• Beca
• Landcare
• Lincoln University
• Greg Curline
• GNS Science

References:

• Hughes, M.W., Quigley, M.C., van Ballegooy, S., Deam, B.L., Bradley, B.A., Hart, D.E., 2015. The sinking city: earthquakes increase flood hazard in Christchurch, New Zealand. GSA Today 25.
• Bastin, S.H., Quigley, M.C., Bassett, K., 2015. Comparison of Liquefaction-induced Land Damage and Geomorphic Variability in Avonside, New Zealand. 6th International Conference on Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering, 1-4 November 2015 Christchurch, New Zealand.
• Begg, J.G., Jones, K.E., Barrell, D.J.A., 2015. Geology and geomorphology of urban Christchurch and eastern Canterbury. GNS Science geological map 3. Lower Hutt, New Zealand: GNS Science.