Alpine Fault Rupture (AF8) Article
The article uses a dramatic scenario of an Alpine Fault magnitude 8 earthquake striking during a tramping trip to illustrate the scale of devastation an AF8 rupture would cause across the South Island—massive landslides, widespread infrastructure collapse, limited emergency response, injuries, fatalities, and isolation. It highlights that such an event is highly likely within the next 50 years and will create challenges far beyond a typical single-hazard incident.
It emphasises the need for outdoor education and tourism operators to prepare for a realistic worst-case scenario by focusing on community resilience, self-sufficiency, survival skills, and emergency planning that assumes no outside help.
This piece first appeared in an NZOIA newsletter and was written by Keith Riley.