People in the Project: Jamie Gurney
Role in Ngā Ngaru Wakapuke
Jamie is a PhD student at the University of Canterbury. His work contributes to Ngā Ngaru Wakapuke RA2 'The Forecast' by providing example historical earthquakes which have affected the Transition Zone.
Jamie is originally from Hampshire in the United Kingdom. Outside of academic research, he likes exploring nature, photographing plants, and indulging in sci-fi/fantasy books & visual media.
Research background
Jamie has undertaken independent research on historical earthquakes in Aotearoa New Zealand since April 2018. During this time he completed a MSc in Geological and Environmental Hazards at the University of Portsmouth in January 2022 with a research project focused on a revision of two poorly studied earthquakes that struck the Kaikōura area in 1925. Jamie then worked at GNS Science in 2023, documenting damaging historical seismicity in the Taranaki and the history of earthquake felt reporting in Aotearoa New Zealand since 1868.
Current research
As a part of his PhD research at the University of Canterbury Jamie is currently compiling a national historical earthquake catalogue covering the period from 1840 to 1870. From this catalogue he is aiming to identify the most significant earthquakes during that period and assess their seismic parameters (epicentral location, depth, magnitude, source faults) with the aim to improve the understanding of seismicity during this previously understudied period of Aotearoa-New Zealand’s history.
Publications
Lacassin, R., Devès, M., Hicks, S. P., Ampuero, J.-P., Bossu, R., Bruhat, L., Daryono, Wibisono, D. F., Fallou, L., Fielding, E. J., Gabriel, A.-A., Gurney, J., Krippner, J., Lomax, A., Sudibyo, Muh. M., Pamumpuni, A., Patton, J. R., Robinson, H., Tingay, M., and Valkaniotis, S. (2020). Rapid collaborative knowledge building via Twitter after significant geohazard events, Geoscience Communication, 3, 129–146, https://doi.org/10.5194/gc-3-129-2020.
Gurney, J. H. (2023). Isoseismal maps of damaging earthquakes in Taranaki, New Zealand, from historical sources – 1882 to 1942. Lower Hutt (NZ): GNS Science. 35 p. (GNS Science report; 2023-25). https://doi.org/10.21420/4ZWB-HB54.
Gurney, J. H., Viskovic, G. P. D., Goded, T., Christophersen, A. (2023). Evolution and History of Felt Reporting for Earthquakes in New Zealand – 1868-2010. Lower Hutt (NZ): GNS Science. (In prep.)