AF8 (Alpine Fault magnitude 8) is again teaming up with leading earthquake scientists and Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) to bring the award-winning AF8 roadshow to South Island communities.

The ‘AF8 Roadshow: The Science Beneath Our Feet’ features public science talks and classroom sessions designed to share the story of the Alpine Fault - a geological fault which runs about 600km up the spine of the South Island - as well as the impacts and consequences of a future magnitude 8 earthquake, and how people can become better prepared for it.

"The AF8 Roadshow plays a critical role in raising awareness and increasing our preparedness for the next large Alpine Fault earthquake, and any similar large-scale events,” AF8 programme manager Alice Lake-Hammond said.

“By sharing the science with communities in a context that is relevant to them we can support informed decision-making at a local level. It’s about understanding how our landscape moves, so we can be better prepared to move with it." 

Associate Professor Caroline Orchiston presents an AF8 Roadshow public talk in Waimate.

The Alpine Fault produces a significant fault (magnitude 8 or above) every 300 years on average and the last major rupture occurred in 1717.

AF8 science lead and associate professor Caroline Orchiston said while we can’t predict when earthquakes will occur, scientific research has shown that “...the next major Alpine Fault event is likely to occur within our lifetime, and we must take steps now to prepare”.

Events include 22 public talks and 11 school sessions in communities around the South Island this year.

The closest event to Wānaka this time around will be held at the Cromwell Presbyterian Church at 6.30pm on March 28. The full itinerary of events is available here.

Toka Tū Ake EQC chief resilience and research officer Dr Jo Horrocks says recent weather events have shown how important it is we be prepared for different natural hazards and make the roadshow timelier than ever. 

“Cyclone Gabrielle and other recent storms have shown how much our lives can be turned upside down by natural hazards. A significant event on the Alpine Fault has the potential to impact the entire South Island and beyond, so it’s so important that we’re well-informed and doing all we can to build our resilience now."

AF8 Roadshow events will be hosted by the six South Island CDEM groups and supported by world-leading earthquake research and science experts.

The biannual AF8 Roadshow is part of an ongoing series of activities designed to support conversations and knowledge sharing around large natural hazard events like an Alpine Fault earthquake.

PHOTOS: Supplied