National Geohazards Monitoring Centre goes live

Thursday, 13 December 2018

The National Geohazards Monitoring Centre is the first in the world to offer around-the-clock monitoring of earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis and landslides.

A team of geohazard analysts will provide an around the clock watch to guard New Zealanders against geological threats.

The National Geohazards Monitoring Centre has been established at the GNS Science campus in Lower Hutt to monitor earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis and landslides. A backup facility has also been established at GNS Science's Wairakei site, north of Taupō.

GNS CEO Ian Simpson, left, and geohazard operations centre manager Benjamin Wylie-Cheer at the new Geohazards Monitoring Centre in Lower Hutt.

It is the first time anywhere in the world a service has incorporated a manned monitoring service for all four threats.

At the opening of the centre on Wednesday, GNS chief executive officer Ian Simpson said the purpose built centre was a valuable extension to GeoNet's capabilities.

Information collated through the centre would also help better understand threats and inform preparations for geohazards and natural threats.

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The team at the centre had access to data from 600 monitoring sites across the country. Information from other parts of the world was also available through the US Geological Survey and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

'We are now able to continuously monitor [those threats]. Previously we had people on call. If something happening in the middle of the night they'd have to start up their laptops and wake up.

'[Now we have] people looking at the screens 24-7.'

The service would cut down on the time between a monitored event and the public being alerted which had the potential to save lives, Simpson said.

Minister of Research, Science and Innovation Megan Woods said New Zealand had high levels of seismic and volcanic activity, and landslides were becoming more of an issue following extreme weather. It was critical New Zealanders had access the best quality information available to prepare and respond to events.

'We're bringing together the science and the operations, and we're making sure that we've got the best minds in this field working together.'