New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics abstracts

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Short communication

A possible coseismic landslide origin of late Holocene moraines of the Southern Alps, New Zealand

S. H. Larsen

C-Research
P.O. Box 26
Lincoln, New Zealand
larsen_sh@xtra.co.nz

T. R. H. Davies

Geology Department
University of Canterbury
Private Bag 4800
Christchurch, New Zealand

M. J. McSaveney

Institute of Geological & Nuclear Sciences Ltd
P.O. Box 30 368
Lower Hutt, New Zealand

Abstract  Moraine deposits of the Southern Alps, New Zealand, have been used to infer past climatic regimes, such as the "Little Ice Age". Recent work has identified four major movements of the Alpine Fault since AD 1200. These earthquakes are inferred to have produced numerous large rock avalanches, some of which must have fallen onto the valley glaciers, with this debris subsequently deposited as terminal moraines. Evidence is presented which suggests that periods of moraine formation follow each of these major earthquakes. Considerable caution must therefore be exercised in inferring past climatic conditions from the size and location of these terminal moraines. These findings have implications for Southern Hemisphere mid-latitude paleoclimatic reconstruction.

Keywords  climate; Little Ice Age; Alpine Fault; earthquakes; glaciers; moraines

G03069; Received 4 December 2003; accepted 10 November 2004; Online publication date 3 June 2005
New Zealand Journal of Geology & Geophysics, 2005, Vol. 48: 311–314
0028–8306/05/4802–0311© The Royal Society of New Zealand 2005

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