Monday 29 March 2021 – 6.00pm

Doors open at 5.30pm

As space is limited and there are no reservations, first come, first seated

Dr Philip Barnes, NIWA

National Aquarium, Marine Parade, Napier

The Hikurangi Subduction Zone is New Zealand’s largest fault system, extending from north of East Cape to Kaikōura and >100 km offshore of the East Coast. The submarine borderland defines the region where the Pacific tectonic plate is plunging westward (subducting) beneath eastern North and South islands. The seascape and underlying geology of the Hikurangi margin vary dramatically along its length, mirroring changes in sedimentation, active geological faulting, and seismic processes. Dr Philip Barnes will take you on a visual tour of the offshore margin and illustrate how Earth scientists are using seafloor mapping, marine geophysical surveys, and ocean-floor drilling data to improve our understanding of this hazardous subduction zone.

Dr Philip Barnes is a Principal Scientist with more than 30 years research experience in the fields of submarine tectonic deformation, subduction systems, geohazards, and sedimentary systems associated with active continental margins.