Geologists have improved upon methods to map seabed rocks, helping us better understand underwater earthquakes and the tsunamis they can cause.

The researchers hope that their clearer view of the rocks around these fault lines — whose movements can trigger earthquakes and subsequent tsunamis — will help them better understand why such events happen.

Lead author Melissa Gray, from Imperial College London’s Department of Earth Science and Engineering, said: «We can now scan underwater rocks to see their properties in greater detail. Hopefully this will help us to better work out how earthquakes and tsunamis happen.»

«Treasure Trove»

Just off the North Island coast of New Zealand, the edge of the Pacific tectonic plate ducks underneath the edge of the Australian plate — an area known as the Hikurangi subduction zone.

Subduction refers to when two plates move against each other, building pressure that eventually triggers one plate suddenly ‘slipping’ beneath the other. This sudden slipping can cause earthquakes, which in turn trigger tsunamis if they happen underwater.

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Materials provided by Imperial College London. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.