Research on earthquakes in parts of the Pacific is expected to enable Civil Defence authorities in New Zealand to better predict the likelihood of tsunamis.
A study has been completed on earthquakes in the South American region, which provide the biggest tsunami threat to New Zealand.
The Ministry of Civil Defence Emergency Management says it has gathered information on where, and how big, the tsunamis are that could arrive in New Zealand from earthquakes off the coast of South America.
Researchers at GNS Science are working on a zone including Australia, the Solomon Islands, the Kermadec Trench and New Zealand.
That study is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
The ministry says the knowledge will improve its ability to assess whether an earthquake in those areas would result in a tsunami that reaches New Zealand, how long it would take to get here and how big it would be.
