Photo: Supplied
A new study using gravity modelling may explain why a part of Wellington's inner city was severely damaged in the 2016 Kaikoura earthquake.
Researchers at Victoria Unviersity found the subsurface basin in the city was twice as deep as previously thought going down 500 metres.
The edge of that drop is the land that runs from Lambton Quay, past the Wellington Regional Stadium and out towards the ferry terminal.
Lead author Emeritus Professor Tim Stern says this means earthquake waves become trapped in the large basin and resonate - with a tripling of their intensity compared to the shaking in the CBD. Professor Stern tells Kathryn this research needs to also be carried out in other cities with similar profiles such as Nelson and Christchurch.
