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7.0 Quake Shakes New Zealand
by lizzie » Fri Sep 03, 2010 8:14 pm
FoxNews
A strong magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck close to New Zealand's second-largest city of Christchurch early Saturday local time, wreaking havoc on older buildings and roads, damaging water pipes and power lines and leading to an airport shutdown.
There were just two reports of serious injuries, and authorities were responding to looting in the aftermath of the quake. The USGS did not warn of the threat of tsunamis, a common after-effect of an earthquake.
Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker declared a state of emergency four hours after the quake rocked the region, warning people that continuing aftershocks could cause masonry to fall from damaged buildings. The emergency meant parts of the city of 342,000 would be closed off and some buildings closed as unsafe, he said.
Minister of Civil Defense John Carter said a state of civil emergency also was declared as the quake was "a significant disaster," and army troops were on standby to assist.
The quake hit at 4.35am Saturday morning local time, just 35 miles northwest of Christchurch, on New Zealand's South Island, at a depth of seven miles. Initial reports placed it at 7.4 magnitude, though the USGS revised it down to 7.0. And a smaller, magnitude 5.7 aftershock struck 5 miles from the initial quake, the USGS reported.
A strong magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck close to New Zealand's second-largest city of Christchurch early Saturday local time, wreaking havoc on older buildings and roads, damaging water pipes and power lines and leading to an airport shutdown.
There were just two reports of serious injuries, and authorities were responding to looting in the aftermath of the quake. The USGS did not warn of the threat of tsunamis, a common after-effect of an earthquake.
Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker declared a state of emergency four hours after the quake rocked the region, warning people that continuing aftershocks could cause masonry to fall from damaged buildings. The emergency meant parts of the city of 342,000 would be closed off and some buildings closed as unsafe, he said.
Minister of Civil Defense John Carter said a state of civil emergency also was declared as the quake was "a significant disaster," and army troops were on standby to assist.
The quake hit at 4.35am Saturday morning local time, just 35 miles northwest of Christchurch, on New Zealand's South Island, at a depth of seven miles. Initial reports placed it at 7.4 magnitude, though the USGS revised it down to 7.0. And a smaller, magnitude 5.7 aftershock struck 5 miles from the initial quake, the USGS reported.
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lizzie
by lizzie » Sun Sep 05, 2010 12:41 pm
wowee how nuts is this:
New Zealand quake rips new fault in earth
msnbc
WELLINGTON, New Zealand  The powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake that smashed buildings, cracked roads and twisted rail lines around the New Zealand city of Christchurch on Saturday also ripped a new 11-foot wide fault line in the earth's surface, officials said Sunday.
New fault rips earth
Canterbury University geology professor Mark Quigley said what "looks to us that it could be a new fault" had ripped across the earth and pushed some surface areas up about three feet (a meter). The quake was caused by the ongoing collision between the Pacific and Australian tectonic plates, he said.
"One side of the earth has lurched to the right ... up to 11 feet (3.5 meters) and in some places been thrust up," Quigley told National Radio.
"The long linear fracture on the earth's surface does things like break apart houses, break apart roads. We went and saw two houses that were completely snapped in half by the earthquake," he said.
New Zealand quake rips new fault in earth
msnbc
WELLINGTON, New Zealand  The powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake that smashed buildings, cracked roads and twisted rail lines around the New Zealand city of Christchurch on Saturday also ripped a new 11-foot wide fault line in the earth's surface, officials said Sunday.
New fault rips earth
Canterbury University geology professor Mark Quigley said what "looks to us that it could be a new fault" had ripped across the earth and pushed some surface areas up about three feet (a meter). The quake was caused by the ongoing collision between the Pacific and Australian tectonic plates, he said.
"One side of the earth has lurched to the right ... up to 11 feet (3.5 meters) and in some places been thrust up," Quigley told National Radio.
"The long linear fracture on the earth's surface does things like break apart houses, break apart roads. We went and saw two houses that were completely snapped in half by the earthquake," he said.
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lizzie
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