Frequency and hazard of large rock avalanches in the central Southern Alps, New Zealand

Research Article| June 01, 1983 Frequency and hazard of large rock avalanches in the central Southern Alps, New Zealand Ian E. Whitehouse; Ian E. Whitehouse 1Water and Soil Division, Ministry of Works and Development, P.O. Box 1479, Christchurch, New Zealand Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar George A. Griffiths George A. Griffiths 1Water and Soil Division, Ministry of Works and Development, P.O. Box 1479, Christchurch, New Zealand Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Geology (1983) 11 (6): 331–334. https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1983)112.0.CO;2 Article history first online: 01 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Ian E. Whitehouse, George A. Griffiths; Frequency and hazard of large rock avalanches in the central Southern Alps, New Zealand. Geology 1983;; 11 (6): 331–334. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1983)112.0.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract Forty-two rock avalanche deposits, with volumes ranging from a chosen lower threshold of 1 × 106 m3 up to 500 × 106 m3, have been identified in a 10,000 km2 area of the central Southern Alps, New Zealand. The observed frequency of one per 244 yr over 10,250 yr is biased by erosion. A nearly complete sample of the past 1,700 yr indicates a frequency of 1 per 94 yr. On the average, the largest rock avalanche in any century is 56 × 106 m3, and in any millennium, 103 × 106 m3. At about one per century, most large rock avalanches are probably triggered by large earthquakes and only a few by large storms. The risk of rock avalanche debris reaching a specified distance from a source of known elevation is given by a simple stochastic model, locally calibrated to assess rock avalanche hazard. This content is PDF only. Please click on the PDF icon to access. First Page Preview Close Modal You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.