The Earthquake Commission (EQC) has kicked off a roadshow that will educate students on New
Zealand’s tectonic plate system and its associated hazards.
Second year ākonga, aged 10-14, were the first to experience the East Coast Life at the Boundary Subduction Zone Secrets presentation.
According to EQC, New Zealand straddles two tectonic plates that meet off the east coast of North Island in an area called the Hikurangi Subduction Zone. This is New Zealand’s largest and most active fault, where the Pacific plate dives down westward beneath the Australian plate.
Subduction zones are responsible for major earthquakes and tsunamis worldwide, and communities on the eastern coast are especially vulnerable, EQC said.
“This knowledge is so important for ākonga and their whānau,” said Georgia McCombe, project leader for East Coast LAB. “A tsunami generated by an earthquake from the Hikurangi Subduction Zone could arrive in as little as 15 minutes, so understanding their hazard and what to do builds the resilience of the whole school community.”
Last year, the roadshow reached almost 800 students across the Tairāwhiti, Hawke’s Bay and Wellington regions.
“I’m excited to bring this knowledge to a fresh group of students,” said Jacque Wilton, an educator from the National Aquarium of New Zealand, who will be delivering the roadshow for East Coast LAB. “The roadshow covers everything from layers of the earth and how tectonic plate movement formed Aotearoa New Zealand, to how earthquakes and tsunamis are generated, how they’re studied, and how we can prepare. Educating them on the science helps students to be interested and prepared, rather than afraid.”
