What magnitude was the Canterbury earthquake?
6.2Mw
The Mw6.2 (ML6.3) earthquake struck the Canterbury region in the South Island, centred 6.7 kilometres (4.2 mi) south-east of the centre of Christchurch, the country’s second-most populous city….2011 Christchurch earthquake.
| Damaged Catholic cathedral two months on | |
|---|---|
| Local time | 12:51 p.m. NZDT |
| Magnitude | 6.2Mw |
| Depth | 5 km (3.1 mi) |
Was the 2011 Christchurch earthquake an aftershocks?
On 22 February 2011, at 12:51 pm, Christchurch was struck by a magnitude 6.3 earthquake. The quake was centred 10km south-east of the city at a depth of 5km. In the ten minutes after it hit, there were 10 aftershocks of magnitude 4 or more.
Why is Canterbury vulnerable to earthquakes?
Many rivers flow eastwards from the Southern Alps towards the Pacific Ocean, depositing post-glacial alluvial gravels that have built the Canterbury Plains over time (e.g., [20]). The city of Christchurch is vulnerable to shaking and liquefaction due to the foundation of alluvial sediment.
What damage did liquefaction cause in Canterbury?
The liquefaction affected 60,000 residential buildings (properties), large number of CBD buildings, and the lifelines and infrastructure over approximately one third of the city area.
When was the Canterbury earthquake?
September 4, 2010
2010 Canterbury earthquake/Start dates
The 2010 Canterbury earthquake (also known as the Darfield earthquake) struck the South Island of New Zealand with a moment magnitude of 7.1 at 4:35 am local time on 4 September, and had a maximum perceived intensity of X (Extreme) on the Mercalli intensity scale.
What is the biggest earthquake in New Zealand?
magnitude 8.2 Wairarapa earthquake
Historically, New Zealand has experienced many large earthquakes. The biggest NZ earthquake – magnitude 8.2 Wairarapa earthquake in 1855. On an international scale, the 1855 earthquake is of major significance in terms of the area affected and the amount of fault movement.
What was the worst earthquake in New Zealand?
How many aftershocks have there been in Canterbury?
The Canterbury sequence has three aftershocks within 1.1 magnitude units of the main shock. Also, the large aftershocks occurred over a period of 15 months, and were located between 42 and 47km away from the initial epicentre.
What type of building is safest in an earthquake?
Wood and steel have more give than stucco, unreinforced concrete, or masonry, and they are favored materials for building in fault zones. Skyscrapers everywhere must be reinforced to withstand strong forces from high winds, but in quake zones, there are additional considerations.
Why is New Zealand prone to earthquakes?
Earthquakes in New Zealand occur because we are located on the boundary of two of the world’s major tectonic plates – the Pacific Plate and the Australian Plate. These plates are colliding with huge force, causing one to slowly grind over, under or alongside the other.
Why liquefaction happened to our country?
The contact forces are large when the porewater pressure is low. Liquefaction occurs when the structure of a loose, saturated sand breaks down due to some rapidly applied loading. In such cases, the soil will have very little strength, and will behave more like a liquid than a solid – hence, the name “liquefaction”.
Does liquefaction cause earthquake?
Liquefaction and related phenomena have been responsible for tremendous amounts of damage in historical earthquakes around the world. Liquefaction occurs in saturated soils, that is, soils in which the space between individual particles is completely filled with water.