One of the most regular faults known
This fault has ruptured like clockwork for centuries.
The Alpine Fault runs the length of New Zealand鈥檚 South Island and is one of the most regular major faults on Earth. It produces a great earthquake roughly every three centuries, and it has been about three centuries since the last one.
What is happening at Alpine Fault
The Alpine Fault is a transform boundary where the Pacific and Australian plates grind past and into each other, lifting the Southern Alps. It is remarkably straight and remarkably consistent.
The geological record shows great ruptures spaced roughly 300 years apart, with the most recent around 1717. That regularity is why scientists give it an unusually high probability of a major earthquake within the next several decades.
The hazard record here
THE RECORD HERE
A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck here in 2016.
Epicentre: 53 km NNE of Amberley, New Zealand.
Live figures from the QuakeMate hazard API - USGS earthquake catalog, NOAA tsunami database and published recurrence estimates. Some fields are blank where there is no record.
Recent earthquakes at Alpine Fault
- 3.6SOUTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND1 week ago 路 23/07/2026, 02:16:39 路 5 km deep
- 3.6SOUTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND3 weeks ago 路 08/07/2026, 12:37:42 路 5 km deep
- 3.1SOUTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND1 week ago 路 24/07/2026, 15:53:18 路 5 km deep
- 3.9SOUTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND4 weeks ago 路 03/07/2026, 04:54:48 路 10 km deep
- 3.5SOUTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND2 weeks ago 路 14/07/2026, 20:39:24 路 198 km deep
Notable events
1717
The last great Alpine Fault rupture, dated from the geological record.
2016
The M7.8 Kaikoura earthquake tore across multiple faults nearby.
What scientists watch
New Zealand agencies study the fault鈥檚 past ruptures in detail and model how a future Alpine Fault quake would affect the South Island.
Staying ahead of it
A great Alpine Fault quake would isolate South Island communities with landslides - alerts and preparation are the front line.
Get QuakeMate freeGet warned before the next one at Alpine Fault.
QuakeMate sends a push the instant the ground moves - plus tsunami and volcano alerts. Free to download.
Alpine Fault: common questions
Is the Alpine Fault overdue?
It ruptures roughly every three centuries and last did so around 1717, so scientists estimate a high probability of a major earthquake in the coming decades. The exact timing cannot be known.
Why is the Alpine Fault studied so much?
Its unusual regularity makes it one of the best natural laboratories for understanding how large faults store and release strain, which informs hazard planning worldwide.
Related hazard zones
Earthquake data via the QuakeMate API (USGS, EMSC and regional agencies). Historical notes summarise well-established events; magnitudes and dates follow the published record. Live figures may be revised.