Holocene Uplift Rates and Fault Mapping for Lae, Papua New Guinea

Terrace riser heights of approximately 3 meters indicate past earthquake events exceeding magnitude 7. This dataset contains geomorphological analysis and Holocene uplift rate estimates for the Lae urban area, focusing on the Ramu-Markham Fault Zone. It was presented at the 2023 Australian Earthquake Engineering Society Conference and published by the Australian Ocean Data Network.

Use Cases

• Model fault slip rates using estimated ~50 mm/yr convergence rate between the South Bismarck and Australian Plates.
• Calibrate seismic hazard models with terrace riser heights and inferred timing of past uplift events.
• Map active fault strand bifurcation and trace locations west and southeast of the Lae urban area.
• Analyze the interaction between riverine deposition, erosion, and range-building over low-angle thrust faults.

Strengths

• Analysis focuses on a major urban area (Lae, PNG's second-largest city) adjacent to an active fault zone.
• Includes specific geomorphic observations, such as 3-meter terrace riser heights indicative of large earthquakes.

Limitations

• Primary data formats are HTML and PDF, limiting direct computational analysis without extraction.
• Sample data, row counts, and specific measurement columns are not provided in the description.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network.

Collection Method

Geomorphological field study and analysis presented at a conference.

Time Range

Holocene epoch.

Freshness

Last updated metadata indicates 2026-04-04.

Geography

Lae Urban Area and the Ramu-Markham Fault Zone, Papua New Guinea.