Do New Zealand’s active faults and volcanoes talk to each other?
17 March 2026 - 05 May 2026
Region(s): Otago, Hawke's Bay, Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Waikato, Manawatu- Whanganui, Taranaki
Type(s): presentations
Do New Zealand’s active faults and volcanoes talk to each other? Insights from 25 years of trenching ancient faults presented by Dr Pilar Villamor.
This is a free public lecture series and everyone is welcome to attend
This year’s Geoscience Tour lecture will review 25 years of trenching active faults in volcanic environments and how a scientist perspective on tectonics close to volcanoes changed through that time, from the simple utilisation of volcanic stratigraphy as timelines for paleo-earthquake history to a realisation that volcanic and tectonic processes are so intimately connected that one cannot be understood without the other.
Pilar will show paleoseismic evidence based on criteria that she developed to distinguish types of earthquakes–eruption associations. Paleoseismic data, combined with geomorphology, borehole data, and geophysics, revealed strong temporal links between fault ruptures and volcanic eruptions. She will also draw on worldwide historic examples and stress modelling to infer possible crustal processes that can explain these time associations. Collectively, these studies improve our understanding of how volcanic eruptions and unrest are linked to active faults and earthquakes in the Taupō Volcanic Zone.
About the speaker
Dr Pilar Villamor is an internationally respected earthquake geologist and principal scientist whose research on active faults and volcano–tectonic interactions in Aotearoa New Zealand has had a transformative impact on our understanding of natural hazards. The novelty of their work lies in combining paleoseismic trenching with multidisciplinary approaches to demonstrate causal links between earthquakes and eruptions.
Lecture series
17 March, Palmerston North. More information here: https://gsnz.org.nz/gsnz-events/ViewEvent/460.
19 March, New Plymouth. More information here: https://gsnz.org.nz/gsnz-events/ViewEvent/461.
23 March, Hamilton. More information here: https://gsnz.org.nz/gsnz-events/ViewEvent/462.
14 April, Taupō. More information here: https://gsnz.org.nz/gsnz-events/ViewEvent/467.
16 April, Tauranga. More information here: https://gsnz.org.nz/gsnz-events/ViewEvent/464.
21 April, Auckland. More information here: https://gsnz.org.nz/gsnz-events/ViewEvent/463.
23 April, Napier. More information here: https://gsnz.org.nz/gsnz-events/ViewEvent/465.
5 May, Dunedin. More information here: https://gsnz.org.nz/gsnz-events/ViewEvent/474.
Related content
These two useful interactive planning pathways have collated various resources on earthquakes and volcanoes to make it easier for teachers to find relevant content. They each comprise an article and interactive that provide pedagogical advice and organise Hub resources into key science concepts and topics.
Find out more about the Taupō Volcanic Zone (TVZ) in Exploding Taupō.
For more check out the wide range of resources under the Hub’s Tectonic plates concept and the Earthquakes and Volcanoes topics.
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