Liquefaction is a process where the soil, including water and sometimes air, is shaken by an earthquake causing the ground to behave more like a liquid than a solid.

Research undertaken in the late 1990s showed significant potential for liquefaction in the Canterbury region. This potential was realised in the 2010-2011 Canterbury Earthquakes and since then, research into specific situations helps us understand why large-scale liquefaction manifests in some cases and why it doesn't in others.

Understanding how and why soil behaves in these ways helps us identify vulnerabilities and develop interventions to reduce the impact of liquefaction in future earthquake events. New Zealand is now a global leader in liquefaction research.

QuakeCoRE Director, Prof. Brendon Bradley.