Earthquakes

[buggi]

My sister lives in New Zealand, in Wellington thankfully, but just across the water from Christchurch (my mum says it's like going from Dover to Calais so not that far). I was chatting to her last night because until the earthquake in Christchurch I didn't realise she lived on a major fault. She happily informs me lives on 3 fault lines.

Anyway, my mum told me about this site http://www.geonet.org.nz/ which records all the siezmic activity going off all the time in New Zealand. Suppose that explains the beautiful scenery anyway

an increase of one whole number on the richter scale means a ten fold increase in energy. quite scary. Haiti's earthquake was at least 10 times worse than Christchurch's.

 

[summerdays]

I have family in Christchurch ... luckily they are OK even the grandaughter that was down in the central zone at the time of the quake. There is some damage to their houses but not too major, and because they are USED (!!!) to earthquakes they have everything Blue Tacked down!

Anyway I hadn't realised how many quakes they had had since the September quake... and was sent this link:

http://www.christchurchquakemap.co.nz/

You can see all quakes since September ... over 5000 or simply look at a specific date - so today they have had 19 at the current count! Though they are definitely seeming to get fewer and deeper and less magnitude than they were at the beginning of the week. And apparently these are still considered aftershocks to that earthquake... according to one site I was looking at.

 

[Keith Oates]

My sister lives in New Zealand, in Wellington thankfully, but just across the water from Christchurch (my mum says it's like going from Dover to Calais so not that far). I was chatting to her last night because until the earthquake in Christchurch I didn't realise she lived on a major fault. She happily informs me lives on 3 fault lines.

Anyway, my mum told me about this site http://www.geonet.org.nz/ which records all the siezmic activity going off all the time in New Zealand. Suppose that explains the beautiful scenery anyway

an increase of one whole number on the richter scale means a ten fold increase in energy. quite scary. Haiti's earthquake was at least 10 times worse than Christchurch's.

Actually they are about 190 miles apart but i'm glad your sister is safe and well!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[al78]

My sister lives in New Zealand, in Wellington thankfully, but just across the water from Christchurch (my mum says it's like going from Dover to Calais so not that far). I was chatting to her last night because until the earthquake in Christchurch I didn't realise she lived on a major fault. She happily informs me lives on 3 fault lines.

Anyway, my mum told me about this site http://www.geonet.org.nz/ which records all the siezmic activity going off all the time in New Zealand. Suppose that explains the beautiful scenery anyway

an increase of one whole number on the richter scale means a ten fold increase in energy. quite scary. Haiti's earthquake was at least 10 times worse than Christchurch's.

Ten times more powerful, not ten times worse.

The location of the epicenter and the depth of the earthquake also determine the amount of destruction. The Christchurch earthquake was both shallow depth and located right in a major metropolitan area so scored highly for destruction potential.

http://www.bbc.co.uk...acific-12534181

 

[summerdays]

Ten times more powerful, not ten times worse.

The location of the epicenter and the depth of the earthquake also determine the amount of destruction. The Christchurch earthquake was both shallow depth and located right in a major metropolitan area so scored highly for destruction potential.

http://www.bbc.co.uk...acific-12534181

And the type of ground ... in this quake there seems to have been a lot of liquefaction of the ground.

 

[yello]

I grew up in NZ and earthquakes of a 'feelable' size were not at all uncommon. You were taught the drill at school, just in case 'the big one' did hit. And people are aware of 'the big one' as something inevitable. Thankfully, all I ever experienced was the shakings and rattlings of relatively tame tremors. Sometimes there'd be minor damage (very rarely structural) and there'd be the odd one that shook a bit long, or a bit forcefully, but you kind of got used to it... even though they were spooky.

As Keith has pointed out, Wellington to Picton is 'just across the water' (though further than Dover to Calais) but Christchurch is some way further south. I'll be speaking to my mother this evening, 1st time since the quake. She's around 100km north of Wellington so may not have even felt it or, if she did, thought little of it. As I say, they're not at all uncommon.

 

[gbb]

Just contacted a friend who goes to NZ each year, works a bit, dosses a bit and stays with friends. Don't know why, i thought he went to the more remote areas...just been in touch via facebook, he's in Christchurch, but thankfully ok.
And there's me monking to myself about the wind this morning...should be thankful for small mercies.