Story: Coastal shoreline
These bare areas running parallel to the coast are beach ridges that have been raised above sea level by large earthquakes. The youngest raised beach (closest to the present-day shoreline) was uplifted 6.4 metres by the 1855 Wairarapa earthquake. Older ridges have been dated and are associated with earthquakes occurring in 2900 BC, 1100 BC and 1460 AD.
About this item
GNS Science
Reference: 7489/19
Photograph by Lloyd Homer
Permission of GNS Science must be obtained before any use of this image
