Earthquakes in New Zealand
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Earthquakes regularly occur in New Zealand as the country forms part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, which is geologically active. About 14,000 earthquakes, most of them minor, are recorded each year.[1] About 200 of these are strong enough to be felt.[2] This affects the culture of the country, in the form of general awareness, historical events, disaster planning, and building regulations.
Contents |
[edit] Distribution
Most earthquakes in New Zealand occur along the main ranges living from Fiordland in the southeast to East Cape in the northwest. This axis follows the boundary between the Indo-Australian and Pacific plates. Large earthquakes are less common along the central Alpine Fault, where the plates are not subducting and the forces are accommodated in different ways.
The largest city within this high risk zone is the nation's capital, Wellington, followed by Napier and Hastings. All these cities have experienced severe earthquakes since European settlement.
[edit] Cultural effects
 |
Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. |
As a nation, New Zealand takes perverse pride in its seismic volatility,[citation needed] and the nickname Shaky Isles is sometimes used for the country.[3]
[edit] Building regulations
|
|
Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. |
Early settlers learned fairly quickly the importance of using appropriate building methods in an earthquake-prone country. The 1848 earthquake, centred in Marlborough, caused great damage to the brick and masonry buildings in Wellington, and the city was rebuilt mainly in wood; consequently it suffered comparatively little damage in the 8.2 magnitude earthquake of 1855, which lifted the land 2-3m.[4]
[edit] Major New Zealand earthquakes
|
|
Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. |
| Date | Location | magnitude | Fatalities |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 October 1848 | Marlborough | 7.5 | 3 |
| 23 January 1855 | Wairarapa | 8.2 | est. 5 - 7 |
| 23 February 1863 | Hawke's Bay | 7.5 | ? |
| 19 October 1868 | Cape Farewell | 7.5 | ? |
| 1 September 1888 | North Canterbury | 7.1 | 0 |
| 12 February 1893 | Nelson | 6.9 | ? |
| 9 March 1929 | Arthur's Pass | 7.1 | ? |
| 17 June 1929 | Murchison | 7.7 | 17 |
| 3 February 1931 | Hawke's Bay | 7.8 | 256 |
| 13 February 1931 | Hawke's Bay | 7.3 | - |
| 5 March 1934 | Pahiatua | 7.6 | 2 |
| 24 June 1942 | Wairarapa | 7.2 | 0 |
| 2 August 1942 | Wairarapa | 7.0 | 1 |
| 24 May 1968 | Inangahua | 7.0 | 3 |
| 2 March 1987 | Edgecumbe | 6.3 | 0 |
| 6 February 1995 | East Cape | 7.0 | 0 |
| 22 August 2003 | Fiordland | 7.1 | 0 |
| 22 November 2004 | Puysegur Trench | 7.2 | 0 |
| 20 December 2007 | Gisborne | 6.8 | 1 |
Quite early on, European settlers were faced with the reality of earthquakes in their new home. On 26 May 1840, the new settlement of Port Nicholson was struck by the first of a number of earthquakes and tremors.[5]
[edit] Notes
- ^ Radio NZ news report on 2007 Gisborne earthquake
- ^ Earthquakes: The Short Story, Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand
- ^ "New Zealand's land and environment"Ministry for the Environment
- ^ McSaveney, Eileen 'Earthquakes', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, updated 21-Sep-2007
- ^ Dench, p 57
[edit] References
- Dench, Alison; Essential Dates: A Timeline of New Zealand History, Auckland: Random House, 2005 ISBN 1869416899
