New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics abstracts
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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