Keeping an eye on geohazards during the holidays
The team at GNS would like to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season. While geohazards can happen anytime and anywhere, now is the best time to prepare and plan to keep you and your whānau safe no matter where in Aotearoa New Zealand you are enjoying summer.
Aotearoa New Zealand has a unique geographical and geological place in the Pacific, along the collision zone of two of the Earth’s major tectonic plates, the Pacific and the Australian. It gives us our stunning landscape, but also puts us at risk from natural hazards such as earthquakes, tsunami, volcanoes, and landslides.
24/7
Helping to keep us all safe is a network of over 9,100 monitoring instruments and supporting equipment in more than 700 locations across Aotearoa New Zealand, and the Southwest Pacific, in lighthouses, on farmland, under oceans and lakes, up mountains, and even on active landslides. GNS monitors the four geological hazards 24/7, every day of the year, alerting us to impending events, supporting emergency response activity, and informing research.
While many of GNS Science’s staff are having a well-deserved break, our National Geohazards Monitoring Centre (NGMC) will be monitoring geological hazards 24/7 throughout the holiday period. They are supported by teams of scientists and experts who are on-call should any geological events occur.
Keeping an eye on earthquakes, volcanoes, and news on the go.
No matter where the summer holidays take you, our GeoNet App will keep you updated on earthquakes, volcanoes and geohazard news. The app details all earthquakes located in and around New Zealand within a few minutes of their occurrence, and you can set up notifications of earthquakes close to your current location (using your phone’s GPS), or for multiple locations and earthquake intensities, around the country.
You can also read our latest news and keep updated on volcanic activity on the app, download it now on your Android and iOS devices:
Preparing for tsunami
All of New Zealand’s coastline and large lakes are at risk of tsunami. Knowing the warning signs and the right action to take can help save lives. Drop, Cover, and Hold during a large earthquake. If it is Long and Strong, Get Gone! If you are near the coast or a lake and if you feel a Long or Strong earthquake, or receive an emergency mobile alert for a tsunami, Get Gone to higher ground, or as far inland as possible immediately.
Our friends at NEMA have a great Get Summer Ready page with all the info you need to prepare and plan for emergencies to keep safe over summer.
Heading to the beach? You can easily see if your favourite holiday spot is in a tsunami evacuation zone. Just put in your address or click a spot on the map and you will see if you are in a tsunami evacuation zone, and what to do if there is a tsunami.
Screenshot of the NEMA tsunami evacuation zone map
Civil Defence issues tsunami warnings in New Zealand. Tsunami warnings are published on the National Emergency Management Agency's website. Tsunami warnings will also be broadcast on radio and television. An Emergency Mobile Alert may also be issued if there is a threat of flooding of land areas.
Prepare your home. Protect your whānau.
There's a lot you can do to make your home safer and stronger for natural hazards. Every step you take will reduce the impact of a disaster on you and your family, so get started today. Check out the Natural Hazards Commission website on how to get your home, apartment, or rental prepared for a natural disaster.
Are you prepared?
For information on preparing for hazards such as earthquakes, tsunami, landslides and volcanic activity, there are guidelines from the National Emergency Management Agency's Get Ready website.
All right? / Not All Right?
We all need a bit of support from time-to-time, and if you or someone you know is struggling, there is free help available. Free call or text 1737 any time, 24 hours a day. You can also call Lifeline on 0800 543354 or text HELP to 4357.
Media contact: 021 574 541 or media@gns.cri.nz