About GeoNet

GeoNet is a project to build and operate a modern geological hazard monitoring system in New Zealand. When complete, GeoNet will comprise a network of geophysical instruments, automated software applications and skilled staff to detect, analyse and respond to earthquakes, volcanic activity, large landslides, tsunami, and the slow deformation that precedes large earthquakes.

The distribution of New Zealand earthquakes and the boundary of the Pacific and Australian tectonic plates.

The Need for GeoNet

New Zealanders live on the edge. Depending on their location, it might be the edge of the Australian Plate, or it might be the edge of the Pacific Plate. The active Pacific-Australian Plate boundary passes through New Zealand producing earthquakes, volcanoes, steep terrain and active deformation. In places the active boundary between the interacting plates is quite narrow, for example the Alpine Fault and Southern Alps in the central South Island. In other regions, such as most of the central and eastern North Island, it is a broad zone of deformation.

Not since the 1930s and early 1940s - a period in which large shallow earthquakes struck repeatedly - has New Zealand suffered major social disruption or serious economic setback due to geological hazards. However, historical evidence and scientific research convincingly show that risk to the population and economy from geological hazards is significantly greater than the experience of subsequent years would indicate.

Nowhere in New Zealand is immune from the possibilities of damaging earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions could distribute ash anywhere over the North Island. A major event almost anywhere in the country would affect the whole society and economy because of the small size of the country and the interdependencies of infrastructure, logistics and business.

The Plan

Five years of equipment trials and formal reviews by GNS Science culminated in a plan presented in 2000 that would provide high quality and timely data and information for emergency management and research. A further 12 months of deliberation by the Earthquake Commission and other agencies included international technical review, science policy review, a financial review, and consultation with end-user groups and two parliamentary select committees (Education and Science, and Finance and Expenditure).

In March 2001 the Earthquake Commission announced it would provide NZ$5 million a year for 10 years, sufficient to launch the GeoNet project and meet 60% of the required long term funding. The major focus of the first three years has been the upgrading of the old national earthquake monitoring system for strong and weak-motion recording, the addition of data communication links, the modernising of data management practices and the introduction of new initiatives for volcano surveillance, landslide response and earth deformation monitoring.

An international strategic review of GeoNet completed in October 2004 concluded that the project meets the best international standards and is poised to make a valuable contribution to public good. However, the review recommended additional investment to realise this opportunity and on June 2, 2005 the Commission announced it would increase its funding to NZ$8 million a year to ensure GeoNet is built and operated to the recommended specification. The extra funding will improve further New Zealand's readiness and ability to respond to an emergency.

The Web Site

The GeoNet web site provides public access to hazards information, including earthquake bulletins and volcano alerts. It also allows the retrieval of fundamental data sets, such as GPS Rinex files, earthquake hypocentres and instrument waveform data. These data are made freely available to the research community.

Additionally, feedback is sought on the effects of felt earthquakes and occurrences of landslides through online forms, which add to our data collections and contribute to a better understanding of these hazards.