NT said:
*Looking at Google map, I'd suggest that new Greendale Fault line aims
at  Kaikoura Canyon. It makes impression that the fragment between
Christchurch and  Kaikoura slides down north over the canyon. Probably
*
*scientists have developed the model of the process.*

*** WARNING *** - Russell here muses on stuff well outside his areas of
competence or substantial knowledge. It would be nice to know that
appropriate experts had discounted these ideas, but odds are there is no
merit in these ponderings.

____________

I certainly hope that nothing too major happens at the canyon proper.

The Kaikoura Canyon is a deep water vee extending in towards the shore from
*beyond* the continental shelf. (Actually curls in from somewhat northwards
but that's detail). It is, according to my searching of the worlds maps som=
e
years ago, THE closest approach  on earth of deep ocean waters to shore. Yo=
u
can see the point where the shoreward end of the trench starts from shore.

You can stand in a very small parking area by the road side (just a gravel
patch) and see Sperm Whales surfacing for a breather and then rolling over
with a large aerial flick of their tails as they head back down the trench
for another meal of giant squid in the adjacent deep ocean. This is NZ's
premier spot for whale sightings ans so good that all the whale watching
boats from just-up-the-way Kaikoura come down to here to watch.

Using binoculars from shore helps but you can see a steady stream of whales
by eye alone. Dolphins cross the area in transit regularly and a scramble
down the rocky bank below the road can bring you into sudden closer than
expected proximity with a gang of larger than expected seals (ask me how I
know).

*** BUT *** if anything like the Christchurch quakes started happening .on
the walls of he trench it could produce landslides down the steeply sloping
sides in deep ocean and quite possibly the tapering rising channel may act
as a "shaped charge" type amplifier.

It wouldn't be hard to imagine it producing an extremely large Tsunami at
the immediate shore point (say 50-100 feet and maybe more) and something no=
t
too much less up the coast at nearby Kaikoura - but perhaps at an angle to
the coast. And very likely something coming down coast toward Christchurch
:-(


Presumably the people who actually know something about this are well ahead
of me on this, if there is any risk.


Russell
--=20
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