Ms Robertson's work also will help further define New Zealand's offshore mineral resources. Mr Hill is studying the history of earthquakes on the Awatere Fault in Marlborough. By subjecting 6m-long sediment cores from the bottom of Lake Jasper to a range of scientific analyses, he has deduced that the Awatere Fault may have ruptured 14 times in the past 15,000 years. The average interval between ruptures is about 1000 years. Even though he is only part-way through his thesis project, his findings are considered highly significant.
More work is needed to confirm the rupture dates.
His award will help with field work and data analysis over the next nine months. Mr Hill's work will help refine the earthquake hazard potential in the top half of the South Island, particularly in Marlborough. Robin Falconer, GNS Hazards Group Manager, said both finalists were of an extremely high calibre and it was impossible to separate them. He was confident both recipients would make a substantial contribution to earth sciences in New Zealand. The scholarship is named after Dr Sarah Beanland who died in a tramping accident in 1996.