Christchurch NZ Earthquake

[prawn_86]

6.3 magnitude earthquake hit Christchurch NZ.

Airport closed and evacuated, hospital evacuated, phone lines down

NZD smashed

 

[Julia]

How awful. Thanks for the advice, Prawn. I'm a bit puzzled by the statement in the news report that it was far worse than the 7.1 quake that happened originally. This one was 6.3. Maybe its location.

 

[skc]

How awful. Thanks for the advice, Prawn. I'm a bit puzzled by the statement in the news report that it was far worse than the 7.1 quake that happened originally. This one was 6.3. Maybe its location.

It was closer to the surface. Plus all those damaged buildings will now fall down. So damage and casualties may be higher. Wish all the kiwis well.

P.S. Buy FBU, short IAG.

 

[McCoy Pauley]

Deaths are now being reported.

The Herald-Sun is carrying a live feed from Sky News on the earthquake coverage here.

Puts things into perspective.

Aftershocks still going on.

 

[Who Dares Wins]

This quake was only 5kms deep and much closer to christchurch city than the previuos one. epicentre was at Lyttelton the port town very close to Christchurch.
Police are reporting ''multiple fatalities''. Christchurch mayor has said the city is ''like a war zone''. Fire in the city burning out of control and being fought by helicopters. Lytellton is destroyed.
South Island hospitals being cleared to handle mass casualties.

 

[Julia]

I've been unable to contact any of my family or friends in Christchurch.
Power is out so hopefully the phone lines are affected and they're all actually OK.
So very sad to see the spire of the iconic Christchurch Cathedral, the city's defining landmark, in rubble.

 

[Happy]

I am sorry to hear they have another one.

 

[awg]

how horrible

hope yr friends and family are ok Julia

the citizens must me devastated

the sound of an earthquake will stay with me forever

an awesome boom, I was running around looking for where the explosion came from

releases the energy of a nuclear blast

dont know how they are going to be able to rebuild their city and confidence

 

[wayneL]

The city centre is smashed, multiple fatalities, scores of injuries, people trapped.

Awful.

 

[Whiskers]

They sure got a shake up. Looks like 22 tremors in total, 13 of them over 4.

Make that 24... another two since I started posting according to this site.

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

 

[Who Dares Wins]

65 confirmed dead so far. expected to rise ''considerably''. a massive disaster. some people survived on the 5th floor of a building after the bottom 4 floors collapsed to ground level.

 

[Whiskers]

It must be frightening there. Another 6 tremors between 3.5 and 4.3, a couple only 5 to 6 km deep.

This seems a lot of aftershocks in close succession or is the big one still coming?

 

[Whiskers]

It must be frightening there. Another 6 tremors between 3.5 and 4.3, a couple only 5 to 6 km deep.

This seems a lot of aftershocks in close succession or is the big one still coming?

Just checked through the data on that site and apparently there has been 79 tremors in the last week. A quick observation seems to show a steady increase in the (M)agnitute from 2.5ish to more over 3 in the last day or two.

Was there any public warning of an increased tremor?


PS: Another one of 4.6M, 5km deep @ 18.59

I believe many low magnitude tremors are not noticable, so what level is noticable, above 3 at those shallow depths must make a little rattle of the shelves mustn't it?

 

[Calliope]

Was there any public warning of an increased tremor?

Earthquakes are not like cyclones or floods. There is no advance notice. That's why they are so frightening.

 

[tech/a]

Devastating to see.
Spent sometime there a few years ago.
Reminded me of Adelaide.

We live on an egg!

 

[Whiskers]

Earthquakes are not like cyclones or floods. There is no advance notice. That's why they are so frightening.

I 'm not a seismologist, but I believe they can estimate or at least take a pretty good calculated guess at the likelyhood of a significant quake based on tremor patterns among other things.

I just scrolled back 7 days seismic activity on the site above and there seemed to be a clear uptrend in the intensity of the tremors from 2.5 to the 3 to 4 range, particularly in the last couple of days.

Since we were told there was the likelyhood of another significant quake after last years quake, I'm curious what information or warnings if any were provided to the public... eg. did the media or gov have a commentry like the weather map, about tremor levels and trends?

 

[Slipperz]

Just checked through the data on that site and apparently there has been 79 tremors in the last week. A quick observation seems to show a steady increase in the (M)agnitute from 2.5ish to more over 3 in the last day or two.

Was there any public warning of an increased tremor?


PS: Another one of 4.6M, 5km deep @ 18.59

I believe many low magnitude tremors are not noticable, so what level is noticable, above 3 at those shallow depths must make a little rattle of the shelves mustn't it?

You would think so.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richter_magnitude_scale

I imagine it is an uncomfortable sleepless and scary night for the residents of Christchurch, wondering if another big one is on the way.



Lets hope the worst has passed for all their sakes.

 

[Slipperz]

I 'm not a seismologist, but I believe they can estimate or at least take a pretty good calculated guess at the likelyhood of a significant quake based on tremor patterns among other things.

I just scrolled back 7 days seismic activity on the site above and there seemed to be a clear uptrend in the intensity of the tremors from 2.5 to the 3 to 4 range, particularly in the last couple of days.

Since we were told there was the likelyhood of another significant quake after last years quake, I'm curious what information or warnings if any were provided to the public... eg. did the media or gov have a commentry like the weather map, about tremor levels and trends?

Looking at the extremely localised incidence of those tremors at the end of the fault line leading directly to a long extinct volcano ( Banks Peninusula) makes you wonder what's going on down below?

 

[Calliope]

I 'm not a seismologist, but I believe they can estimate or at least take a pretty good calculated guess at the likelyhood of a significant quake based on tremor patterns among other things.

And what if "they" could "guess" that there was the likelihood of an earthquake in Christchurch, what could they do about it. Everyone living on a major faultline knows that sooner or later there will be a major temblor. In San Francisco it's not a matter of if, but when, and no one knows. The seismologists can only "guess."

Apart from abandoning the city all the residents can do is what they do in Japan...build earthquake resistant buildings.

 

[Whiskers]

Thanks Slipperz, This chart below from your link relates pretty well to what I remembered about the tremor size.

Looking at the extremely localised incidence of those tremors at the end of the fault line leading directly to a long extinct volcano ( Banks Peninusula) makes you wonder what's going on down below?

Certainly does!

A lot have been 3 to 5 km deep with the odd one down to abt 19km.

your point leads me to wonder now how often an earthquake fault escalates to a volcano.

And what if "they" could "guess" that there was the likelihood of an earthquake in Christchurch, what could they do about it. Everyone living on a major faultline knows that sooner or later there will be a major temblor. In San Francisco it's not a matter of if, but when, and no one knows. The seismologists can only "guess."

Apart from abandoning the city all the residents can do is what they do in Japan...build earthquake resistant buildings.

I've never lived in an earthquake prone area, but I would imagine something like a cyclone alert, advising when noticable increased tremor numbers and or magnitude give some indication of a damaging quake, to give people the option of not frequenting potentially dangerous areas/buildings at such times... but that would be a hell of a hot political potato, I suppose.