Hutt Valley fault scarps

Summary It is improbable that the sinuosity ot the Wellington Fault scarp has been notably increased by localised back.wearing, North‐east of the Wakatikei River the valiey‐side scarp of the Hutt Valley is half a mile out of alignment with the Wellington Fault and it is possible that its position is determined by a splinter or en échelon fault, The long straight segment of the valley side south‐west of the Wakatikei confluence has not necessarily been cut far back by the Hutt River, which more probably has merely retouched the youthful form of a fault scarp, perhaps removing soliflual debris that threatened to smother it, The view that the valley‐side scarp is a young fault scarp is supported bv the asymmetric form of the valley. Comparative immunity of the right bank of the Hutt River from attack by lateral river corrasion for some distance below the Akatarawa confluence may have been due to fan‐building by the Akalarawa River.