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Succeeding with a Shaky Topic

Andrew Cavill, a geophysics student at Victoria University, has been awarded the 1996 Jim Ansell Scholarship by the New Zealand Geophysical Society, for a PhD research project which involves the investigation of how the earth moves at an earthquake source. The project uses new broadband seismometers that allow a more complete recording of ground movement at the seismometer.

Cavill says he is using seismometer information to investigate the orientation of the fault plane and the direction of movement on the fault related to each earthquake recorded.

"We are also seeking to determine the amount of movement and the area over which the movement occurred, which can be used to calculate the magnitude of an event."

"This study makes use of data collected by nine broadband seismometers deployed firstly in the central North Island and then in the East Cape region. The goal of this study is to improve our knowledge of the state of stress within the subduction zone in the North Island, enabling us to better understand the earthquake hazard," he says.

The $1,000 Ansell Scholarship was established in memory of Professor Jim Ansell, who was Professor of Geophysics at Victoria until his sudden death in 1993, and is awarded each year to the New Zealand graduate student who is judged most likely to advance geophysics in his or her subsequent career.