![]() ![]() The deposits buried any sign of geologic activity, hiding faults on the plain. They were created as rivers running out of the mountains at the end of the last ice age (about 16,000 years ago) deposited gravel and sand. ![]() The Canterbury Plains are flatlands between the Southern Alps and the Pacific Ocean. The fault responsible for the September 4 earthquake had not been mapped because it was buried under the Canterbury Plains. The faults are identifiable by the way they deform the ground. Several faults are scattered across New Zealand’s South Island, and all are associated with the motion of the two tectonic plates. It happened along an east-west fault that had not been identified before. The September 4 earthquake, however, did not occur on the Alpine Fault. The uplift in the mountains makes it easy for geologists to identify the Alpine Fault. Over time, the motion has built the Southern Alps. ![]() The two plates slip past each other in the South Island, creating the Alpine Fault. New Zealand sits on top of the boundary between the Pacific and Australian tectonic plates. Made from data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission, the map illustrates how geologic activity shaped the region and why it makes Christchurch vulnerable to earthquake damage. As this map shows, the quake was centered about 45 kilometers (30 miles) west of Christchurch. on September 4, 2010, when a magnitude 7.0 earthquake shook the region. Evidence rests on a single report that has so far not been verified ġ855 Wairarapa earthquake ĭoublet earthquake: damaging in Oamaru & neighbouring settlementsĭamaged stone buildings in Christchurch, including ChristChurch Cathedral įelt throughout North Island, Strong in Wanganuiįelt through North Island, chimney throughout Tairawhitiįelt throughout Upper half of the South Islandįelt throughout lower half of the North Islandįelt throughout North Island & upper South IslandĬaused further damage to the already devastated Hawke's Bay.Residents of Christchurch, New Zealand, and surrounding communities were rattled awake at 4:35 a.m. ![]() Information for earthquakes before 1840 are later estimates.ġ835 Auckland earthquake - Apparently a large shallow earthquake followed by aftershocks. New building regulations meant that any new buildings constructed afterwards attempted to take earthquake shaking into account in building design. Many buildings in Hastings and Napier were damaged in the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake. 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. Early settlers learned fairly quickly the importance of using appropriate building methods in an earthquake-prone country. On, the new settlement at Port Nicholson was struck by the first of a number of earthquakes and tremors. Quite early on, European settlers were faced with the reality of earthquakes in their new home. The 1929 Murchison earthquake and 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake led to the development of stricter building codes in New Zealand from 1935. As a result, New Zealand has very stringent building regulations. About 14,000 earthquakes occur in and around the country each year, of which between 150 and 200 are big enough to be felt. All these cities have experienced severe earthquakes since European settlement. The largest city within the highest-risk zone is the nation's capital, Wellington, followed by Napier then Hastings. Large earthquakes are less common, where the plates are not subducting and the forces are accommodated in different ways. This axis follows the boundary between the Indo-Australian and Pacific plates. Most events occur along the main ranges running from Fiordland in the southwest to East Cape in the northeast. Aftershocks are not included, unless they were of great significance or contributed to a death toll, such as the M 6.3 2011 Christchurch earthquake and the M 7.3 aftershock to the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake.Įarthquakes occur frequently in New Zealand as the country is situated in the collision zone between the Indo-Australian and Pacific tectonic plates, part of the Pacific Basin Ring of Fire, where many earthquakes and volcanoes occur. Only earthquakes with a magnitude of 6.0 or greater are listed, except for a few that had a moderate impact. This is a list of large earthquakes that have occurred in New Zealand. Major active fault zones of New Zealand showing variation in displacement vector along the Pacific– Indo-Australian plate boundary (left) and the distribution of earthquakes (magnitude 5 or greater) New Zealand earthquakes 1960 to 2020 Magnitude ![]()
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