Magnitude 5.7 Earthquake - Christchurch, New Zealand

In summary: Gerry Brownlee.Yesterday's 5.7 magnitude earthquake in Christchurch was expected, but no one can predict when they will hit. Minister Brownlee says yesterday's earthquake was expected, but of course no one can predict when they will hit.
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  • #2
When you need a news channel ... they are busy celebrating Scalia ...
 
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  • #7
Astronuc said:
http://www.christchurchquakemap.co.nz/

I was following the quakes around Christchurch since 2010, and it seems things were quieting down during 2013-2015.

USGS - http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us20005019#general_region
Date/time 2016-02-14 00:13:43 (UTC)
Lat 43.503 °S, Long 172.843 °E
Depth=8.2 km (5.1 mi)

Yes it's been a while since we had anything significant so yesterday's series was quite a surprise. Fortunately no injuries and no serious damage, all schools and the University are open today.

Cheers
 
  • #8
cosmik debris said:
Yes it's been a while since we had anything significant so yesterday's series was quite a surprise. Fortunately no injuries and no serious damage, all schools and the University are open today.

Cheers
Minister Brownlee says yesterday's earthquake was expected, but of course no one can predict when they will hit. http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/pol...nister-Gerry-Brownlee-says-shake-was-expected
 
  • #9
Yup, M 5.8 (USGS) (5.7 GNS) is a significant event, specially so close to a large populated area
where building ( those left standing from the earlier events) have already been stressed

my daughter, living on the south side of central Christchurch, said it was the strongest she had felt since the 2011 events ... It was a "get into doorway " sized shake, she told merecorded it well on my seismo ...

zhi.gif
will still be visible for a few more hours ( ~ 7 - 8)Dave
 
  • #10
StevieTNZ said:
Minister Brownlee says yesterday's earthquake was expected, but of course no one can predict when they will hit. http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/pol...nister-Gerry-Brownlee-says-shake-was-expected

a bit of a silly comment by him ... as that applies to any active region in NZ
Significant events are "expected " from all the active fault zones and that encompasses some ~ 70% of the NZ regionDave
 
  • #11
There is a high possibility Christchurch could be hit with another earthquake in the next 12 months following Sunday's 5.7 magnitude quake.

According to new modelling completed by GNS Science, there is a 63 per cent chance of another 5 to 5.9 earthquake in the Canterbury region.

Before Sunday's quake the figure was 49 per cent.

https://nz.news.yahoo.com/top-stories/a/30819309/high-chance-of-another-strong-christchurch-earthquake/
 
  • #14
Not related to Christchurch, but this earthquake was felt by some in Christchurch before -- https://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/30830261/severe-earthquake-south-of-new-zealand/

"It hit at 10km depth at 8:28am and a number of felt reports have been logged since then in Invercargill, Dunedin and as far north as Christchurch." Magnitude 6.0.

I am sure today in Parliament a statement will be made about the Christchurch earthquake.
 
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  • #15
StevieTNZ said:
Not related to Christchurch, but this earthquake was felt by some in Christchurch before -- https://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/30830261/severe-earthquake-south-of-new-zealand/

"It hit at 10km depth at 8:28am and a number of felt reports have been logged since then in Invercargill, Dunedin and as far north as Christchurch." Magnitude 6.0.

I am sure today in Parliament a statement will be made about the Christchurch earthquake.

yeah another decent one ... .I saw it starting to arrive on my seismo 30 mins before I left home for work
2 events on the seismo currently, 5.9 Tonga and the M 6.2 Auckland Isl reg. South of the South Island of NZ

zhi.gif
EDIT ... meant to also comment ... This event has produced one of the larger T-Wave signals I have so far recorded. very obvious on the geophone E-W channel @ 19:48 - 19:50 UT

syde.gif
Dave
 
  • #16
http://www.inthehouse.co.nz/video/41507

Questions about the Christchurch earthquakes posed to the Minister for Building and Housing.
 
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  • #21
  • #23
StevieTNZ said:
I am guessing that is the Mt Cook earthquake from today: https://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/30876689/earthquake-hits-mt-cook/

No it was the M 4.3 aftershock a couple of km's NW of the M5.8 :smile:

The Mt Cook event is on a different fault, far away
StevieTNZ said:
I'll be down in Christchurch 11-13 March. Hope no earthquakes occur while I am there!

have fun, a high probability that you may feel several smaller events, there's still many of them occurring each day

Dave
 
  • #24
Felt this one, near Seddon, earlier: https://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/30884931/severe-earthquake-strikes-near-seddon/
 
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  • #25
StevieTNZ said:
Felt this one, near Seddon, earlier: https://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/30884931/severe-earthquake-strikes-near-seddon/

only just recorded that one on my seismo here in SydneyD
 
  • #26
And it seems there was another strong earthquake down in Christchurch early this morning:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/ne...e-quake-wakes-sleeping-christchurch-residents

Christchurch residents have described hearing a roar before an early morning quake on Monday "hit like a freight train", shaking them from their beds.

The 4.3 magnitude earthquake hit near Cashmere, just five kilometres south of the central city, at 3.32am.

It hit at a depth of just five kilometres. Geonet listed the quake as "strong".

Eeeckk, and I am down in Christchurch 11 - 13 March.
 
  • #27
M 4.3 - 14km (9 mi) ESE of Christchurch, New Zealand (moderate) USGS puts it under Godley Head Farm Park, near the location where the cliffs collapsed, but the Canterbury Quake site puts it 5 km under Christchurch north of Cashmere Rd. That's quite a difference.

Time: 2016-02-28 14:32:40 UTC
Location: Lat 43.584°S, Long 172.803°E
Depth: 10.0 km - Shallow

It would definitely feel strong if one was close to the epicenter.

29 Feb 2016 3:32am Depth 5.00 km Mag 4.30
http://www.canterburyquakelive.co.nz/Browse/?reference=quake.2016p158394
 
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  • #29
Astronuc said:
M 4.3 - 14km (9 mi) ESE of Christchurch, New Zealand (moderate) USGS puts it under Godley Head Farm Park, near the location where the cliffs collapsed, but the Canterbury Quake site puts it 5 km under Christchurch north of Cashmere Rd. That's quite a difference.

which is why I don't rely on the USGS when it comes to event locations well outside their high density networks
and that goes for any event outside the USA ... mainland USA, Hawaii and Alaska have great high density networks and have no problems accurately locating events within those regions
For the rest of the world, the need to rely on networks within the countries concerned is important

the USGS/NEIC have one station within NZ, in Wellington as part of its WWSSN the next closest ones are more than 1000km away

Dave
 
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  • #30
cosmik debris said:
That one was quite a jolt, seeing as it was under the city and only 5kM down, the accelerations were quite high for a seemingly low magnitude. Woke me and the cat up, it was short though so I didn't make it out of bed.

yes, my daughter in Riccarton felt it quite well too ( within 10km of the epicentre)
 
  • #31
davenn said:
the USGS/NEIC have one station within NZ, in Wellington as part of its WWSN the next closest ones are more than 1000km away
It would seem they need an array in Canterbury. NZ seems to have a good network there.
 
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  • #32
Astronuc said:
It would seem they need an array in Canterbury. NZ seems to have a good network there.

you may already be aware of this ??
...
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/monitoring/gsn/

that gives the locations and operational status for the GSN, Global Seismic Network, formerly the WWSSN (World Wide Standard Seismic Network)

Once upon a time they were all running the Sprengnether long period horizontal seismometer
http://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_1445876

Sprengnether horizontal long period seismometer.jpg


I ran one from home for most of the 1990's, it was a spare from the Otago University Geology Dept
where I did my geol. studies

They were a solid beast weighing around 80 lbs .. triangular shaped base about 1.5 ft per side
around 40lbs of the weight was in that central vertical cylinder of brass. the whole thing had a cover
over it with a little window to observe the arm centring pointer that you can see in the centre of the brass mass ... a really nice instrument

here's a link to many of the seismograms of the stations around the world
They update roughly every 30 mins

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/monitoring/operations/heliplots_gsn.php Dave

PS ... you may well be coming to realize over recent years, that this subject is a real hobby horse of mine :smile:
 
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1. What was the cause of the magnitude 5.7 earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand?

The earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand was caused by the movement of tectonic plates along the boundary of the Pacific and Australian plates. This area is known for frequent seismic activity due to the collision of these two plates.

2. How common are earthquakes of this magnitude in Christchurch, New Zealand?

Earthquakes of this magnitude (5.7) are relatively common in Christchurch, New Zealand. The city is located near a major fault line and experiences frequent seismic activity. However, the last major earthquake in the area was in 2011, which had a magnitude of 6.3.

3. Was there any damage or casualties caused by this earthquake?

As of now, there have been no reports of major damage or casualties caused by this earthquake. However, there have been some reports of minor damage to buildings and infrastructure, and some people have reported feeling the shaking. It is always important to stay alert and follow any safety protocols in the event of an earthquake.

4. How do scientists measure the magnitude of an earthquake?

The magnitude of an earthquake is measured using a seismograph, which records the seismic waves created by the earthquake. The Richter scale is commonly used to measure the magnitude of an earthquake, which is based on the amplitude of the seismic waves. Each whole number increase on the Richter scale represents a tenfold increase in the magnitude of the earthquake.

5. Is there a way to predict when and where earthquakes will occur?

Unfortunately, there is currently no reliable way to predict exactly when and where an earthquake will occur. Scientists can make predictions based on past seismic activity and the movement of tectonic plates, but these predictions are not always accurate. It is important to always be prepared for earthquakes and follow any safety protocols in the event of one.

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