Holocene coseismic marine terraces are used to reconstruct earthquake magnitude and frequency; however, coastal erosion can remove these terraces, compromising their reliability as paleoseismic records. Rates of terrace removal globally are unconstrained, and the extent to which flights of Holocene coseismic marine terraces contain complete paleoseismic records is unclear. On 14 November 2016, the magnitude (Mw) 7.8 Kaikōura earthquake in New Zealand caused instantaneous uplift of 0.8−1.0 m of intertidal shore platforms, creating a new marine terrace. Since 1974, a micro-erosion meter network has been used to determine erosion rates of these shore platforms, providing a unique opportunity to investigate how quickly a new marine terrace is destroyed. Lowering rates more than doubled from 0.944 mm/yr prior to 2016 to 2.556 mm/yr following uplift. Using a linear decay function starting at 2.556 mm/yr the new marine terrace will be removed from the landscape in 552 yr. When sea-level rise and interseismic subsidence are considered, the terrace may be removed in only 200 yr. A time window of ∼200−550 yr is less than the return time of the earthquake that created the terrace, demonstrating that a new terrace can be eroded from the landscape before further uplift ensures preservation. Our findings clarify how Holocene coseismic terrace sequences present incomplete records of paleoseismicity, with significant implications for reconstructing earthquake magnitude and frequency on tectonically active coasts.
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July 03, 2025
Early Publication
Are Holocene coseismic marine terrace sequences complete paleoseismic records? Rapid erosion of a new marine terrace created during the 2016 Mw 7.8 Kaikōura earthquake suggests not! Available to Purchase
Wayne J. Stephenson;
Wayne J. Stephenson
1
School of Geography, University of Otago, Dunedin 9056, New Zealand
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Mark E. Dickson;
Mark E. Dickson
2
School of Environment, University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
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Martin D. Hurst;
Martin D. Hurst
3
School of Geographical & Earth Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G128QQ, UK
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Jokotola Omidiji;
Jokotola Omidiji
1
School of Geography, University of Otago, Dunedin 9056, New Zealand
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Sophie L. Horton;
Sophie L. Horton
4
School of Earth and Environment, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand
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Nicola J. Litchfield;
Nicola J. Litchfield
5
GNS Science, Lower Hutt 5010, New Zealand
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Kevin P. Norton;
Kevin P. Norton
6
School of Geography, Environment and Earth Science, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand7
Department of Geosciences, Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen, Geschwister-Scholl-Platz, 72074 Tübingen, Germany
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Hironori Matsumoto;
Hironori Matsumoto
8
Scripps Institution of Oceanography, San Diego, California 92093, USA
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Raphael L. Krier-Mariani;
Raphael L. Krier-Mariani
8
Scripps Institution of Oceanography, San Diego, California 92093, USA
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Lovleen Acharya-Chowdhury;
Lovleen Acharya-Chowdhury
2
School of Environment, University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
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Aidan D. McLean
Aidan D. McLean
2
School of Environment, University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
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Wayne J. Stephenson
1
School of Geography, University of Otago, Dunedin 9056, New Zealand
Mark E. Dickson
2
School of Environment, University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
Martin D. Hurst
3
School of Geographical & Earth Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G128QQ, UK
Jokotola Omidiji
1
School of Geography, University of Otago, Dunedin 9056, New Zealand
Sophie L. Horton
4
School of Earth and Environment, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand
Nicola J. Litchfield
5
GNS Science, Lower Hutt 5010, New Zealand
Kevin P. Norton
6
School of Geography, Environment and Earth Science, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand7
Department of Geosciences, Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen, Geschwister-Scholl-Platz, 72074 Tübingen, Germany
Hironori Matsumoto
8
Scripps Institution of Oceanography, San Diego, California 92093, USA
Raphael L. Krier-Mariani
8
Scripps Institution of Oceanography, San Diego, California 92093, USA
Lovleen Acharya-Chowdhury
2
School of Environment, University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
Aidan D. McLean
2
School of Environment, University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
Publisher: Geological Society of America
Received:
19 Feb 2025
Revision Received:
10 Jun 2025
Accepted:
24 Jun 2025
First Online:
03 Jul 2025
Online ISSN: 1943-2682
Print ISSN: 0091-7613
© 2025 Geological Society of America
Geology (2025)
Article history
Received:
19 Feb 2025
Revision Received:
10 Jun 2025
Accepted:
24 Jun 2025
First Online:
03 Jul 2025
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CitationWayne J. Stephenson, Mark E. Dickson, Martin D. Hurst, Jokotola Omidiji, Sophie L. Horton, Nicola J. Litchfield, Kevin P. Norton, Hironori Matsumoto, Raphael L. Krier-Mariani, Lovleen Acharya-Chowdhury, Aidan D. McLean; Are Holocene coseismic marine terrace sequences complete paleoseismic records? Rapid erosion of a new marine terrace created during the 2016 Mw 7.8 Kaikōura earthquake suggests not!. Geology 2025; doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G53244.1
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