![cover image](https://wikiwandv2-19431.kxcdn.com/_next/image?url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8a/NZ_faults.png/640px-NZ_faults.png&w=640&q=50)
North Island Fault System
Fault zone of the east coast of New Zealand's North Island / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The North Island Fault System (NIFS) (also known as North Island Dextral Fault Belt or North Island Shear Belt[1]) is a set of southwest–northeast trending seismically-active faults in the North Island of New Zealand that carry much of the dextral (right lateral) strike-slip component of the oblique convergence of the Pacific Plate with the Australian Plate. However despite at least 3 km (1.9 mi) of uplift of the axial ranges in the middle regions of the fault system during the last 10 million years most of the shortening on this part of the Hikurangi Margin is accommodated by subduction.[2]
North Island Fault System | |
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North Island Shear Belt, NIFS, North Island Dextral Fault Belt, | |
![]() Major active fault zones of New Zealand for orientation (North Island Fault System is labelled) and to show variation in displacement vector of Pacific Plate relative to the Kermadec Plate and Australian Plate along the boundary. The Kermadec Trench label would better read Hikurangi Trench at this position. The Kermadec Plate is not labelled but lies between the labels of the North Island Fault System and the Kermadec Trench in the picture. | |
![]() Main active strands of the North Island Fault System | |
Etymology | North Island |
Country | New Zealand |
Region | North Island |
Characteristics | |
Length | 200 km (120 mi) |
Displacement | 1 cm (0.39 in)/yr |
Tectonics | |
Plate | Australian |
Status | Active |
Type | strike-slip |
Movement | Mw8.2 |
Age | Miocene-Holocene |
New Zealand geology database (includes faults) |
The faults include the Wairarapa Fault and Wellington Fault to the southwest, the Ruahine and Mohaka Faults in the central section and the Waimana, Waiotahi, Whakatane and Waiohau Faults to the northeast. Most of the fault system consists of dextral strike-slip faults, although towards its northeastern end the trend swings to more S-N trend and the faults become mainly oblique normal in sense as the zone intersects with the Taupō Rift. This fault zone accommodates up to 1 cm/year (0.39 in/year) of strike-slip displacement.[3]