Strain measurements in the northern Waiau Basin, South Island, New Zealand

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Abstract
Recent geodetic crustal strain determinations in the northern Waiau Basin suggest that the maximum (engineering) shear strain is 0.27 ± 0.07 μrad/yr. The azimuth of the direction of greatest horizontal contraction is 110°, which is consistent with crustal shortening across the basin, or reverse movement on structures parallel to the Moonlight Fault system. The geodetic results are not consistent with active extension in the northern Waiau Basin, however. The measurements may be consistent with dextral movement on the Moonlight Fault, because the study area is located on a restraining bend of the fault, so reverse movement on the fault bend is consistent with dextral movement on the fault as a whole. Geodetic measurements located in the foothills of the Takitimu Mountains about 10 km to the east give very low strain rates, which suggests that the Waiau Basin acts as a zone of weakness which localises deformation between the Takitimu Block and Fiordland

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