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What caused the 2010 Canterbury earthquake?

What caused the 2010 Canterbury earthquake?

The earthquake’s epicentre was located some 25 miles (40 km) west of Christchurch near the town of Darfield, and the focus was located about 6 miles (10 km) beneath the surface. It was caused by right-lateral movement along a previously unknown regional strike-slip fault in the western section of the Canterbury Plains.

What damage was caused by the 2011 Christchurch earthquake?

The Christchurch earthquake caused extensive damage to infrastructure and buildings. Multiple buildings collapsed, and the city was impacted by burst water mains, flooding, liquefaction and power outages. The port was damaged, and many roads cracked.

How many people died in the Canterbury earthquake?

185 deaths
It caused widespread damage across Christchurch, killing 185 people, in the nation’s fifth-deadliest disaster….2011 Christchurch earthquake.

Damaged Catholic cathedral two months on
Landslides Sumner and Redcliffs
Casualties 185 deaths 1,500–2,000 injuries, 164 serious

How many aftershocks happened in Canterbury?

At 7 August 2012, the area had experienced 11,000+ recorded aftershocks of magnitude 2 or more, including 26 over 5.0 magnitude, and 2 over 6.0 magnitude. Many caused further damage to buildings in the Christchurch central business district, and some were felt as far away as 300 km to the south in Dunedin.

Why do you hear a loud rumble before an earthquake?

The place above it on the surface is the epicentre. Earthquakes cause vibration waves to travel through the ground. The first sign of a quake is often the rumbling sound caused by the ‘P’ (primary or push) waves. These travel at about 20,000 kilometres an hour.

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.

Which is the strongest earthquake in the world?

Valdivia Earthquake
Science Center Objects

Mag Alternative Name
1. 9.5 Valdivia Earthquake
2. 9.2 1964 Great Alaska Earthquake, Prince William Sound Earthquake, Good Friday Earthquake
3. 9.1 Sumatra-Andaman Islands Earthquake, 2004 Sumatra Earthquake and Tsunami, Indian Ocean Earthquake
4. 9.1 Tohoku Earthquake

Why dont aftershocks occur in the same place?

The stress on the mainshock’s fault changes during the mainshock and most of the aftershocks occur on the same fault. Sometimes the change in stress is great enough to trigger aftershocks on nearby faults as well.

Is a magnitude 13 earthquake possible?

The problem of a magnitude 13 is, that it is not possible according to this concept due to the earth’s physical limitations. Keep in mind, that with one magnitude higher, a quake has about 32 times more energy. Of course, you can compare the energy for instance to that of an impact event – which is also often done.

What was the impact of the Canterbury earthquake?

Damaged school buildings resulted in state intervention which required amendment of the Education Act of 1989, and the development of ‘site sharing agreements’ in undamaged schools to cater for the needs of students whose schools had closed.

How many students were affected by the Christchurch earthquake?

Human ethics approval was required to survey one Christchurch secondary school community of students (aged between 12 and 18), teachers and staff, parents and caregivers during October 2011. Participation was voluntary and without incentives, 154 completed questionnaires were received.

Where was the epicentre of the New Zealand earthquake?

Most of the damage was in the area surrounding the epicentre, including the city of Christchurch, New Zealand’s second-largest urban area with a population of 386,000. Minor damage was reported as far away as Dunedin and Nelson, both around 300–350 kilometres (190–220 mi) from the earthquake’s epicentre.

What was the curfew in Christchurch after the earthquake?

Initially, a curfew was established for parts of Christchurch Central City from 7 pm to 7 am in response to the earthquake. The New Zealand Army was deployed to the worst affected areas in Canterbury.