Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake

If we can better predict how much the ground will shake in an earthquake, we can better prepare for future events. New research led by PhD candidate Felipe Kuncar focuses on improving computer ground-motion simulations by investigating how to better model shallow site effects—the influence of soil characteristics on vibrations. In a new paper in Earthquake Spectra, the team present five different methods for modelling these site effects, using data from Christchurch. Predicting ground shaking is usually done on a regional scale, which makes modelling site effects hard because both the structure of soil and the data available about it can vary meter to meter. The different approaches lead to varying results, highlighting the need for further validation with real-world data. The ongoing research will extend this to 212 sites across New Zealand, comparing predictions to actual earthquake observations. This work lays the foundation for better predicting earthquake impacts in New Zealand and around the world. We’re proud to fund this research alongside University of Canterbury, Te Hiranga Rū QuakeCoRE, Resilience to Nature's Challenges and the Royal Society's Marsden Fund. 📷 Photo credit QuakeCoRE Annual Meeting 2022

Like La Palma, Auckland’s volcanoes are located near urban centres. When La Palma erupted in 2021, slow moving rivers of lava buried entire buildings, sparked fires and destroyed critical infrastructure – thought thankfully no lives were lost. There is a lot we can learn from how La Palma prepared for, and is responding to, this devastating event. We’re funding research to apply these lessons to an Auckland context in the unlikely case of a big eruption in our biggest city. During volcanic unrest, the most important thing to do is follow expert advice. Having a go-bag, back-up food and water supply, and connections with our neighbours is also a good idea. Watch lead researcher Dr Geoff Kilgour from GNS Science explain how the different types of lava flows interacted with La Palma’s buildings. Read the full story: https://lnkd.in/gnz5HmFE

Congratulations to William Conran, Manager of the Quantity Surveying and Technical team, who was recently awarded our Health, Safety, Security & Wellbeing - Kaitiaki Hauora, Haumaru end-of-year award. William was nominated by his colleagues for taking a proactive approach to safety and wellbeing. He advocates for his team by making sure they have both the right tools and mindset to keep themselves safe at work. William exemplifies the qualities of an exceptional leader and collaborator, demonstrating excellence in relationship building that has set up both his stakeholders and his team for success in their work. Congratulations William for being an advocate of the importance of wellbeing in the workplace, and being such an exceptional leader! Your award is very well deserved.

New research aims to better understand the Hikurangi Subduction Zone, which is one of the largest natural hazard risks we face in New Zealand. It runs along the east coast of the North Island and under the tip of the South Island, and has a 1 in 4 chance of an 8.0 magnitude earthquake happening in the next 50 years. This major new study by GNS Science researchers will use new imaging techniques to build an unprecedented picture of the giant fault zone’s mechanics. What they discover will help New Zealand be better prepared for ground shaking and tsunami impacts of such an event. https://lnkd.in/gedARbKR

Mid-rise buildings that can house multiple families are popping up around the country to accommodate our growing population. What’s driving the design decisions of these new builds, are how resilient are they? Indriana Apriani is dedicating her PhD to studying these questions, as part of Associate Professor Rick Henry’s group at the The University of Auckland. Indri is a structural engineer whose passion for natural hazards has been shaped by her experiences growing up in Indonesia. She says, “I am driven by a passion for developing innovative solution that enhance community well-being through resilient infrastructure. I aspire to contribute to disaster risk mitigation, where I can apply practical solution from my research to address the challenge posed by future natural hazards.” Read her full interview in our January NHC researcher profile. https://lnkd.in/gH3mQJXx

A call out to homeowners who were affected by the Auckland Anniversary Weekend floods and Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023. If you have not yet made your claim for damage, please call your insurer ASAP. You have up to two years after any natural hazard event to lodge a claim for damage. Find information about your natural hazards cover at www.knowyourcover.co.nz. Here is a list of our insurer partners and their contact details. https://lnkd.in/gnYTtS3U

What happens when an earthquake shakes volcanic soil? Big parts of New Zealand are covered in volcanic soil deposits, which form after eruptions. Scientists want to understand how these soils will respond to intense shaking, to better predict liquefaction risk following earthquakes. NHC funded researchers Dr Mark Stringer and PhD student, Emma Gardiner, have been at Zhejiang University’s geotechnical centrifuge centre testing volcanic soil samples sent from New Zealand. Dr Stringer explains, “We are using the facility to collect the best possible physical evidence for how volcanic soil deposits might respond during a strong earthquake. This is important because volcanic soil grains have very different behaviours compared to typical hard-grained soils on which most geotechnical engineering is based. Our experiments will help us to demonstrate how important these differences are, and how well we should expect buildings in areas with these soils to behave. This is an important step towards understanding our exposure to liquefaction in areas with these soils, as well as helping us in our goal of developing, or refining, design approaches.” 📷 The photo taken by Dr Stringer shows Emma with one of her tested models, getting ready to carefully dig up the model to check what happened inside the ground.

This year, we wrapped things up with a shake, rattle, and roll! Our teams put their structural engineering skills to the test, building mini structures and putting them through their paces on the shake table. The challenge? Create a design that could handle the wobbliest of quakes. Spoiler alert: Some stood tall, others... not so much! But hey, that's the fun of testing resilience and learning together (and yes, this is totally work-related 😉). Holiday hours: If you need to get in touch with us over the holiday period, our contact centre team is here to help. From Monday 23 December until Friday 3 January, they’ll be available 8am–4pm Monday to Friday, and closed on public holidays. Wishing you a safe and happy holiday season from all of us at NHC Toka Tū Ake! 🎄✨

What a way to round out the year! Research through NielsenIQ is showing that more of you than ever are taking action to help prevent damage to your homes from natural hazards – amazing work! If you’re yet to begin with steps that will prepare your home and protect your whānau, then we’ve got all the info you need to get started: https://lnkd.in/g4Ju5eYt

We've received almost 10,000 claims for damage from landslides in the last three years, which is nearly ten times more than the previous three years. We know that landslide damage can be complex and costly to fix. Since the Auckland anniversary floods in January 2023, the cost of landslides have totalled $302 million - over four times the cost of all other natural hazards combined. https://lnkd.in/eznGU_6p