WELLINGTON, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand scientists called for increased seismometer coverage to prepare for the next big earthquake, according to a study released on Wednesday.

Monitoring of earthquake behavior along the Alpine Fault should be improved before the forthcoming quake, said the study conducted by GNS Science and the Victoria University of Wellington.

The quality of New Zealand's earthquake location data varies a lot between regions, but this could be addressed through increased seismometer coverage, especially near the Alpine Fault, it said.

The present, sparse monitoring network is insufficient to closely monitor the fault's behavior ahead of the next major earthquake, said the research article published in the New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics.

Improved monitoring infrastructure would allow scientists to identify changes in the fault's behavior over time and enable better recording of aftershocks following a major earthquake, the article said.

The earthquake data for the last five years across New Zealand showed that earthquake sources could be located with more certainty where seismic stations were spaced closer together and earthquakes were deeper.

The study called for prioritizing regions like Westland and Fiordland that are at risk of large Alpine Fault earthquakes for expanding New Zealand's seismic network.

"Monitoring of small, micro earthquakes and aftershocks is a very important way that we keep tabs on how our faults are behaving," said Emily Warren-Smith, a senior seismologist at GNS Science and lead author of the study. Enditem

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