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Geology – Discovery of Hidden Faults Sheds Light on Mystery of ‘Slow Earthquakes’

Source: Earth Sciences New Zealand

Discovery of Hidden Faults Sheds Light on Mystery of 'Slow Earthquakes' – “This is a major step forward in understanding the geological processes happening beneath our coastlines”
Scientists have uncovered a key piece of the puzzle behind the unusual ‘slow earthquakes’ occurring off the east coast of New Zealand’s North Island.
A new international study, published in Science Advances, identifies hidden fault structures called polygonal fault systems (PFSs) as a major influence on the behaviour of the northern Hikurangi subduction zone. These shallow geological features, found in sediments entering the subduction zone, appear to play a critical role in where and how slow slip earthquakes occur.
“This discovery helps explain why slow earthquakes occur where they do,” says Dr Philip Barnes, marine geologist at Earth Sciences New Zealand (formerly NIWA) and co-author of the study. “It also shows that these events may be influenced by the reactivation of old fault structures that formed much closer to the surface than the present depths of the subduction zone.”
In the Hikurangi subduction zone, the Pacific Plate is diving beneath the Australian Plate. While the southern section of this zone remains locked and capable of producing massive earthquakes over magnitude 8, the northern part behaves differently. It regularly produces slow slip events, movements that unfold over days to months, releasing tectonic stress without sudden shaking.
“Slow slip events do not cause violent shaking themselves, but they can increase stress on nearby faults and may trigger more damaging earthquakes. Understanding what controls them is vital to improving earthquake and tsunami warnings.”
The international study was a collaboration between researchers from China, the US, and Earth Sciences New Zealand, using data from the International Ocean Discovery Program and the high-resolution three-dimensional NZ3D seismic survey conducted off Gisborne. Using high-resolution 3D seismic imaging, deep-sea drilling data from the International Ocean Discovery Program, and advanced computer modelling, the research team was able to map out PFSs in unprecedented detail and to evaluate their role in the subduction zone.
“These faults form over millions of years during sedimentation, long before and initially away from the subduction zone. But as the seafloor is dragged into the subduction zone during the convergence of the tectonic plates, they can be reactivated and evolve into major thrust faults. Our analysis also shows they provide important pathways for fluids, which play a major role in fault slip.”
This connection between fault structure and fluid migration offers new insight into one of the key processes thought to trigger slow earthquakes, says Dr Barnes. The study also confirms that these fault systems create a complex and variable structure along the megathrust, which can influence stress patterns and strain distribution.
“Until now, we lacked the imaging resolution to link these features directly to slow slip behaviour,” says Dr Barnes. “This study changes that, and gives us a new lens to better understand subduction zone dynamics.”
While scientists first identified the PFS type of fault at subduction zones 20 years ago off the southwest coast of Japan, they couldn’t determine how these complex structures influenced subduction and seismic slip, says lead author Maomao Wang, a marine geologist at Hohai University in China. “It wasn’t until we analysed these beautiful 3D seismic images that we confirmed their widespread presence along New Zealand’s north Hikurangi margin, revealing their potential role in shaping slow earthquakes.”
The findings may also have implications beyond New Zealand. “Similar fault systems have been observed in subduction zones around the world, including Japan’s Nankai Trough. By highlighting the mechanical and hydrological effects of PFSs, the study adds a missing piece to the global understanding of how slow earthquakes work.”
“This is a major step forward in understanding the geological processes happening beneath our coastlines,” says Dr Barnes. “With better models and better data, we are now in a stronger position to understand how subduction zones work.”
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Education and Employment – Teachers strike important to ensure quality education – NZCTU

Source: NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi

The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi is today supporting PPTA members across the country who are striking for fair pay increases, more subject specialist advisors, and greater teacher-led professional development funding.

“The union movement stands in solidarity with secondary teachers who are fighting for a quality education system,” said NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff.

“Workers never make the decision to strike lightly. PPTA members are rightly taking action to ensure that schools can attract graduates and retain experienced teachers.

“It is unacceptable that teachers are being offered the lowest pay increase in a generation at the same time as they are facing an overhaul of NCEA.

“A quality education system affects all of us. Students, parents and communities all benefit from teachers having what they need to support our young people.

“The Government is prioritising tax cuts for the rich over essential public services. Everyone should be grateful to the teachers who are taking strike action this week,” said Wagstaff.

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Legislation – Law change could save farmers and taxpayers millions – Federated Farmers

Source: Federated Farmers

Federated Farmers is throwing its support behind a new Member’s Bill that could bring much-needed clarity to New Zealand’s climate change laws – and save millions in legal costs.
National MP Joseph Mooney’s Climate Change Response (Restriction on Civil Proceedings) Amendment Bill aims to confirm a common-sense principle: if a person or business is complying with national climate change laws, they can’t be sued for causing climate-related damage.
“It sounds very obvious, but that’s not how the law appears to be working right now,” Federated Farmers climate change spokesperson Wayne Langford says.
“It’s crazy that companies like Fonterra and Dairy Holdings, who are fully meeting their legal climate obligations right now, can still be dragged into court and sued for allegedly causing harm through emissions.
“We fully support Joseph Mooney’s Bill, which will restore some much-needed common sense and save farmers, food processors and taxpayers millions of dollars in court costs.”
Climate activist Mike Smith is taking seven major New Zealand companies, including Fonterra and Dairy Holdings, to court over their greenhouse gas emissions.
He says the emissions are harming Māori land and culture, and is claiming public nuisance, negligence, and breach of a duty to stop contributing to climate change.
The High Court threw out two of the claims but allowed the third to proceed.
After appeals from both sides, the Supreme Court has now reinstated all three claims, allowing the case to go to trial, and the matter is now back in front of the High Court.
Federated Farmers says the case sets a dangerous precedent.
“Every New Zealander contributes to climate change in some way,” Langford says.
“When you turn on a light switch, cook dinner, drive your car – even an EV – you’re using energy and consuming goods. All of that has emissions behind it.”
In most cases, those emissions come from companies operating within New Zealand’s legal framework – following rules set out under the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), reporting requirements, and other regulatory obligations.
“So, it’s silly stuff to then try and sue those law-abiding companies,” Langford says.
He points out that long-lived carbon dioxide emissions are already captured under the ETS, and the Government is actively investing in research and tools to help farmers reduce their short-lived methane emissions.
“If these companies are following the rules, there has to be some certainty and protection in that, or the legal risk becomes unmanageable.”
Mooney’s Bill would provide that certainty by spelling out in law that private legal action cannot be taken against individuals or companies for their greenhouse gas emissions, provided they’re complying with climate laws already set by Parliament.
“Rather than force the courts to debate and decide what the law in New Zealand is, this Bill would allow Parliament to exert its authority and define the law,” Langford says.
He says it’s no different from how things work in other areas of law.
“If a property developer gets resource consent to build a high-rise apartment, the neighbours can’t turn around and sue them for the shade or noise.
“That’s because we recognise the developer has done everything required under the law to get permission.
“Why should climate law be treated any differently?”
Smith’s lawsuit covers major electricity generators, petrol retailers, dairy farming and dairy processing.
Langford warns that if Smith’s case is successful, it would see a host of vital industries face major cost and risk.
The case could open the floodgates to further lawsuits against other industries that also produce emissions, even if they’re fully compliant with New Zealand’s climate regulations.
“In practice, the only way for those industries to avoid legal risk would be to stop emitting entirely – meaning they’d effectively have to shut down overnight.”
He says that would be economically disastrous and would leave the Government scrambling to urgently rewrite the law to protect the economy.
“If the case is successful, Parliament will simply be forced to urgently change the law. Let’s not wait for that crisis. Parliament should clarify the law now, before this goes any further.”
Federated Farmers is urging the Government to adopt Mooney’s Bill as a Government Bill, which would significantly speed up its passage through Parliament.
“Rather than wait for Fonterra and Dairy Holdings to go through a lengthy and expensive High Court process – something that will also cost taxpayers dearly – the Government should step in now and provide certainty.
“We need to focus our time, energy and taxpayer dollars on solutions that actually reduce emissions, not on endless litigation against companies doing everything the law requires.”
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Legislation – Collins admits plans to restrict the right to strike – PSA

Source: PSA

Public Service Minister Judith Collins’ admission in Parliament that the Government is looking at restricting public sector workers' fundamental right to strike is deeply concerning and demands further explanation, says the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
In response to questions in Parliament yesterday from Camilla Belich, Collins stated the Government is “looking at how we can strengthen the bargaining system so that people might have better options available before racing off to strike, such as, for instance, mediation or any other sorts of facilitated bargaining.”
PSA National Secretary Fleur Fitzsimons says Judith Collins needs to come clean about exactly what the Government is planning, as mediation and facilitation already exist and are regularly used.
“Judith Collins admitted in Parliament that the Government is looking to further limit the right to strike. This is a very serious matter and demands an urgent explanation.
“The right to strike is a cornerstone of our democratic workplace relations system. Any attempt to restrict this fundamental right would be a direct attack on working people's ability to negotiate fair wages and conditions.
“This Government has already shown it is willing to remove basic rights without consultation when it stripped away women's pay equity rights in the dead of night. It has also already undermined the right to strike by introducing pay deductions for partial strikes.
“Collins talks about 'better options' but what she's really talking about is forcing workers into new processes that favour employers and which remove the remaining few tools workers have to push back. There are already significant limits on the right to strike in New Zealand.
“The right to withdraw labour is fundamental to the balance of power in workplace negotiations and should not be further restricted.”
The PSA is calling on Collins to rule out any further restrictions on the right to strike and to instead focus on ensuring public sector workers receive fair pay rises that keep pace with the rising cost of living.
“Public sector workers provide essential services to New Zealand and face the same cost of living pressures as everyone else. They deserve to be paid fairly and treated with respect, not have their rights stripped away,” Fitzsimons said.
The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand's largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups.
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Births and deaths: Year ended June 2025 – Stats NZ information release