The Alpine Fault
A poster of the Alpine Fault in New Zealand’s South Island.
The Alpine Fault sits on the boundary of two large tectonic plates – the Australian Plate and Pacific Plate – which is responsible for the creation of the stunning Southern Alps we see today. However, for all their beauty, the fault will rupture, causing a massive earthquake one day that will likely have a large impact on the South Island.
This map shows, in diagram form, the distances of the South Island’s towns and cities from the Alpine Fault, along with their population sizes. The fault is shown as a thick black line through the centre, with towns shown geographically to the west and east of the fault (left and right respectively).
Created as part of the 30 Day Map Challenge in November 2022.
Data: GNS, AF8, Stats NZ
