Tsunamis up to 90 feet high smash into New Zealand every 580 years, study finds

Researchers analyzed 30,000 years of simulated time to look at tsunami risk from underwater earthquakes off New Zealand.   (Image credit: John Lund/Getty Images)

Tsunami waves 92 feet (28 meters) high could hit parts of New Zealand in a worst-case earthquake scenario, research finds. 

In the study, researchers used a new method of examining simulated earthquakes to understand possible tsunami risks to New Zealand's North and South Islands. They found that the largest waves are likely to strike along the northeast coast of North Island. That's because the Hikurangi subduction zone, where the Pacific tectonic plate dives under the Australian tectonic plate, sits just offshore.