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Mapping Active Faults using 3D Ground-Penetrating Radar and 2D and 3D High- Resolution Reflection Seismology

New Zealand is located along the boundary between the Australian and Pacific tectonic plates. Although there are a large number of faults associated with this plate boundary setting, few have ruptured during the nearly 200 years of European settlement. Yet, paleoseismology provides clear evidence of relatively data across critical parts of the transpressive Alpine Fault zone ( the principal plate boundary) and numerous reverse faults hidden beneath the very young sediments that cover the northwest Canterbury Plains. After subjecting our data to diverse processing procedures, the resultant radar and seismic cross-sections and horizontal slices provide vivid images of the target structures. When combined with age estimates of various formations, we are able to derive strain rates for a number of the faults