Hawke's Bay soil giving information on what future earthquakes will be like

Philip Girgis is testing how soil reacts to vibrations to predict future earthquake shaking. Photo / Supplied

A student is using Hawke's Bay soil to find out what future earthquakes might be like.

Philip Girgis, a University of Auckland student, has begun measuring small vibrations in soil from human and natural activity to help find out more about earthquake shaking.

This is done by simply placing a seismometer on the ground or in a shallow hole and recording vibrations for half an hour.

Dr Liam Wotherspoon from the University of Auckland said the testing was being done at a number of locations around Hastings, Napier, and the wider Hawke's Bay region.

"This method will enable us to better understand the overall stiffness and depth of the soil profile above rock at these locations to help inform our research," he said.

"We will then look to use more detailed methods to further develop our understanding of the soils across the region."

Researchers believed the soil profile of an area had a major influence on earthquake shaking based on past earthquakes around New Zealand and the world.

It was hoped the research would inform building practices and help with another project on earthquake modelling being developed by QuakeCore research centre.

The goal of the seismic wave modelling was to predict how shaking will happen, and hopefully better direct emergency services as well as engineer buildings to cope better with earthquakes.

The soil testing formed part of the East Coast LAB project which researched natural hazards on the East Coast's tectonic plate boundary.

The testing will continue until February next year.