Note aftershocks ranging from 5.6 to 4.5 have also been felt in the last few hours. Here is a list of quakes.
We wish our Kiwi friends well, and hope that the quake is not as bad as first reports indicate.
From MSNBC
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — A 6.3-magnitude earthquake Tuesday rocked the southern New Zealand city of Christchurch, collapsing buildings, cracking streets and causing multiple fatalities and serious injuries.
The nation’s leader, Prime Minister John Key, said at least 65 had died as a result of the disaster and told reporters in the stricken city that the death toll was expected to rise further.
Live video footage showed streets strewn with bricks and shattered concrete. Sidewalks and roads were cracked and split, and hundreds of dazed, screaming and crying residents wandered as sirens blared throughout the city. Bodies were being pulled from rubble. Water mains burst, causing extensive flooding.
“There have been fatalities,” John Hamilton, the head of New Zealand’s civil defense, told reporters. “We can’t confirm the numbers yet, we’ll leave that to the police process to go through.”
New Zealand police said in a statement that there were reports of multiple deaths, including a report that two buses had been crushed by falling buildings. The police statement said there were other reports of fires burning.
…
The epicenter of the quake was located in the “worst possible location” for city residents, New Zealand’s GeoNet Center data manager Kevin Fenaughty told the New Zealand Herald.
From comments, link to a photogallery here
======================================================
Quake details:
| Magnitude | 6.3 |
|---|---|
| Date-Time |
|
| Location | 43.600°S, 172.710°E |
| Depth | 5 km (3.1 miles) |
| Region | SOUTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND |
| Distances | NEAR Christchurch, New Zealand
225 km (140 miles) SSE of Westport, New Zealand 305 km (190 miles) SSW of WELLINGTON, New Zealand 310 km (190 miles) NE of Dunedin, New Zealand |
| Location Uncertainty | horizontal +/- 12.2 km (7.6 miles); depth +/- 0.6 km (0.4 miles) |
| Parameters | Nph= 0, Dmin=0 km, Rmss=0.98 sec, Gp= 0,
M-type=”moment” magnitude from initial P wave (tsuboi method) (Mi/Mwp), Version=D |
| Source |
|
| Event ID | usb0001igm |
magnitude earthquake Tuesday rocked the
southern New Zealand city of Christchurch,
collapsing buildings, cracking streets and
causing multiple fatalities and serious injuries.
The nation’s leader, Prime Minister John Key,said at least 65 had died as a result of the
disaster and told reporters in the stricken city
that the death toll was expected to rise further.
Live video footage showed streets strewn withbricks and shattered concrete. Sidewalks and
roads were cracked and split, and hundreds of
dazed, screaming and crying residents
wandered as sirens blared throughout the city.
Bodies were being pulled from rubble. Water
mains burst, causing extensive flooding.
“There have been fatalities,” John Hamilton, thehead of New Zealand’s civil defense, told
reporters. “We can’t confirm the numbers yet,
we’ll leave that to the police process to go
through.”
New Zealand police said in a statement thatthere were reports of multiple deaths,
including a report that two buses had been
crushed by falling buildings. The police
statement said there were other reports of
fires burning.
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Damage photos with interactive BEFORE / AFTER slider
http://www.news.com.au/world/christchurch-cathedral-before-and-after/story-e6frfl00-1226010081646
The reason some of us comment here on global warming is because we know our adversaries well. Nothing is beyond these desperate Warmists. We have learned from history.
Did climate change cause Haiti quake?
Climate change ‘could spark more volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunamis’
Global Warming Might Spur Earthquakes and Volcanoes
earthquakes, avalanches and volcanic eruptions as the atmosphere heats up
Climate change may trigger earthquakes and volcanoes
Some earthquakes may be linked to climate change
From Rhys Jaggar on February 22, 2011 at 7:06 am:
“Never let a serious crisis go to waste. What I mean by that is it’s an opportunity to do things you couldn’t do before.”
-Rahm Emanuel, former Chief of Staff under U.S. President Obama (ref)
Others will be using the tragedy to promote (C)AGW, which we know here to be essentially a political cause with no trustworthy scientific support for its proposed and already-implemented “solutions.” I showed my respect for New Zealand and her people by noting a thusly political potshot that is expected to come.
And I note you got in your own political potshots.
Ferdinand Engelbeen says:
……………..
Pull of 400nT (~3.6%) on the horizontal component of the Earth’s magnetic field should not be ignored. It may not caused the actual earthquake, but it may caused concentrated energy realise what in the next few months would have been series of minor shocks, there were hundreds in the area since last major quake.
http://www.vukcevic.talktalk.net/gms.htm
We ANZACs must have done something to displease someone. I thought I’d cried enough after the first Christchurch earthquake, the Greymouth tragedy, the Queensland and other floods in Australia and now this. The tears are still flowing for our beautiful countries and people. God love you Kiwis! We’re thinking of you across the ditch. Take care… and we might let you win the Bledisloe Cup this year 😉
jimbo said:
The reason some of us comment here on global warming is because we know our adversaries well.
————————————————
Sad, but true. However, we also have people on this thread claiming that it has something to do with the phases of the moon, or solar activity.
If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.
I would have thought that sitting on a fault line between tectonic plates was a good enough explanation. It would be great if someone (maybe a guest poster on WUWT) could give us a run down on tectonic plates and related issues.
My thoughts and very best wishes to all of you on the other side of the ditch.
James.
You can contact Council;
http://www.infonews.co.nz/news.cfm?id=57080
A lot of aid organisations are asking for volunteer help, eg;
http://www.habitat.org.nz/index.php/pi_pageid/368
More info here;
http://canterburyearthquake.org.nz/
When bodies are being left in the street to focus on the living I would say they need all the help they can get.
People can also donate
http://www.3news.co.nz/Christchurch-earthquake—Red-Cross-donations/tabid/423/articleID/174355/Default.aspx
Noelene says:
February 22, 2011 at 2:13 am
Seismologist says it’s an after shock from the Sept 4th earthquake.I didn’t know that after shocks could happen months later.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/christchurch-earthquake/news/article.cfm?c_id=1502981&objectid=10708036
As an old Kiwi geologist – we were taught about NZ seismic zones and related basement structures – the Akaroa region never featured.
I think it is clear now that the Darfield earthquake Sept 4 2010 ushered in a “new seismic zone”.
Authorities assumed the usual cloud of aftershocks would die away and life could return to normal. As early as Sept 14 2010 experts opined – “GNS spokesman John Callan said there was now only a remote chance of a magnitude 6.0 aftershock.”
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/canterbury-earthquake/4125034/A-couple-of-5-0-shocks-could-be-on-way
We now know that was wrong.
Aftershocks have not died away as in the classic model.
So IMHO we are in uncharted waters – shocks look like continuing – for how long we have no idea. The point of view that perhaps Christchurch should not be fully rebuilt where it is – on such a weak substrate – has gained a bit of currency yesterday.
I live in New Zealand. I am up in Hamilton so far enough away that I have no worries for myself. I have been watching the news since it happened and I have listened to all that has been said.
We are greatful for all the prayers and help that the world is sending us. The Earthquake back in sept 2010 as 7.1 but 33km below the surface this one was 6.3 but only 5km below the surface. It is a tragedy and the worst we have ever had in New Zealand. I have family that live in Christchurch but I am lucky enough that I can say they are safe and unhurt. I feel for all those that have lost people.
They have said that 65 are dead but have now changed that to 39 confirmed and identified dead but there are more bodies to identify. Also there are bodies still under buildings and in two buses that were crushed by falling buildings.
I do understand why people are making comments about global warming and stuff like that but it is sad that people must think of that at this time when we are still in shock over what has happened. It is a sad time for us Kiwi’s but we are a strong people and we will pull through this.
Again thank you for all your prayers and offers of help.
Our thoughts and prayers are with our Kiwi friends.
twawki says:
February 22, 2011 at 12:05 pm
James.
You can contact Council;
http://www.infonews.co.nz/news.cfm?id=57080
A lot of aid organisations are asking for volunteer help, eg;
http://www.habitat.org.nz/index.php/pi_pageid/368
More info here;
http://canterburyearthquake.org.nz/
When bodies are being left in the street to focus on the living I would say they need all the help they can get.
People can also donate
http://www.3news.co.nz/Christchurch-earthquake—Red-Cross-donations/tabid/423/articleID/174355/Default.aspx
=======================================================
Thank You, twawki.
johanna says: February 22, 2011 at 11:27 am
“Sad, but true. However, we also have people on this thread claiming that it has something to do with the phases of the moon, or solar activity.
I would have thought that sitting on a fault line between tectonic plates was a good enough explanation. “
It is … if all you want to do is to clear up the mess afterwards.
If however like most scientists you want to learn from events like this then you have to be able to step back from the human events and start looking at the science. I’m sorry if that upsets some people, but on the scale of earthquakes if this had happened anywhere where there were coloured people, it would likely have never been mentioned at all!
This is supposed to be a forum to discuss things of science – and the most important issues of science are those that can kill 100,000s. Now however difficult this present event was for those involved, and however sad the loss of life, let’s get this in perspective because on the scale of human disasters this isn’t exactly big:
1970 Bhola cyclone: 500,000
2010 Haiti Earthquake: 316,000
1976 Tangshan Earthquake: 665,00
2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami 230,210
2010 Qinghai 2698
2010 Maule 521
2010 Sumatra 435
2010 Elâzığ province, Turkey 57
2011 New Zealand earth quake: 65
Come on there is just a bit of hypocrisy by some people here. Take e.g. the equally sized earthquake in Turkey: Total number of google hits for New Zealand websites for the Elâzığ turkey earthquake = 12. TWELVE, that is a dozen sites (actually one is a carbon copy)
So, basically New Zealanders don’t care a damn, about earthquakes so small … when it happens in Turkey … need I say more?
Well Friends in Ch-ch, have reported in all ok. coupla miles from downtown, and folks and house survived. city center seems somewhat destroyed.
“”””” Come on there is just a bit of hypocrisy by some people here. Take e.g. the equally sized earthquake in Turkey: Total number of google hits for New Zealand websites for the Elâzığ turkey earthquake = 12. TWELVE, that is a dozen sites (actually one is a carbon copy)
So, basically New Zealanders don’t care a damn, about earthquakes so small … when it happens in Turkey … need I say more? “””””
Well Mike, that is mighty white of you to say so.
Frankly, I don’t think you know diddley squat about what New Zealanders think; about anything.
So how many hits on that Turkey quake did you get from China; or India, or Brazil; maybe for the United States ?
And Mike, as for predicting increased likelihood of quakes (somewhere) based on the tidal variables; that is as old as the hills themselves; and there are folks who routinely report on such likelihoods with excellent batting averages.
But evidently you are uninformed on that. Perhaps if you didn’t have such a chip on your shoulder, you would have more time to get informed about such things.
Mike Haseler says:
February 22, 2011 at 3:03 pm
Mike, I’d guess the reason there’s few hits in NZ websites for that Turkish earthquake is that it happened in a sparsely populated area in the middle of nowhere with little media apparatus on the ground and poor communications, rather than in a major population centre with plentiful media connections and first-world communications.
Mike, I think you would find Kiwis contribute above their weight to disaster recoveries and welfare around the world. We also provide search and rescue over a huge area of the planet – the Pacific Ocean and Pacific Islands down to Antarctica. Not bad for 4.5M people.
Come and visit sometime and I think you would enjoy an attitude adjustment. To our Aussie cuzzies, heartfelt thanks, mates.
Bernd Felsche said:
I suspect that there will be calls for a review of building standards when the dust settles. There certainly ought to be.
Our building codes are regularly overhauled. New Zealand, along with Japan (another shaky country), is on the bleeding edge of earthquake building engineering research and development, with much co-operation between both countries. Wellington City, where (small) earthquakes are pretty common, was recently (in my lifetime) rebuilt over a period of several decades with older weaker buildings torn down and replaced with buildings engineered, with what we’ve learnt, to much higher standards.
I have no doubt our civil engineers will be looking into the wreckage to try and spot the failure modes as several relatively modern buildings have collapsed completely. Christchurch has one of the two largest engineering schools (University of Canterbury) in the country. The experience of this quake will eventually be replicated in the engineering school laboratories with findings and advice being issued automatically, where applicable. This last quake was so shallow, and its epicentre so close, it overwhelmed all standards.
However, this is still not the long awaited “Big One.” The boundary between the Pacific and the Australian plates runs down the South Island’s alps—the Trans-Alpine Fault—well to the west of Christchurch. The strain in this fault is continuing to build. When it let’s go, a rebuilt Christchurch may well be flattened once again, as ‘quakes from this fault have passed 8 on the Richter scale in the past. I remember seeing an article in (or around— +/- a year or so) 1998 which, quoting some University of Canterbury geologists, predicted a big South Island ‘quake in 2006 +/- 10 years. This isn’t it, sad to say.
Lilacwine says:
February 22, 2011 at 11:11 am
[We ANZACs must have done something to displease someone.— God love you Kiwis! We’re thinking of you across the ditch. Take care… and we might let you win the Bledisloe Cup this year ;-)]
——————————————————————————
Lilacwine – Nah – not a chance that you Aussies would LET us win the Bledisloe – we just have to TAKE it from you!
But thanks for the sentiment. BTW we are getting heaps of help from you Aussies, Yanks, Japanese even Singapore – and it is very much appreciated – sure know where your friends are.
Even the more modern buildings seem to be under threat now – maybe it’s the liquifaction – it is just like soup – what could stand up when this occurs?
Douglas
The ‘Grand Chancellor’ hotel in Christchurch (about 14 stories) has just been declared unstable and is likely to come down. It is a comparatively modern structure and the reason for the instability is to condition of the ground. I guess this is due to the liquifaction.
Douglas
If I were living down there I think by this point I’d be a bit tired of people jumping up and down about wanting old brick buildings conserved. Historical brick facades (with preservation orders on them) just killed a whole bunch of people. So how many lives are we willing to spend for the sake of architectural nostalgia. Time to rip them all down and rebuild using modern materials. Brick and stone are quite simply insane building materials to use in an earthquake prone country.
Mike Haseler says: February 22, 2011 at 3:03 pm
johanna says: February 22, 2011 at 11:27 am
[—-I’m sorry if that upsets some people, but on the scale of earthquakes if this had happened anywhere where there were coloured people, it would likely have never been mentioned at all! This is supposed to be a forum to discuss things of science – and the most important issues of science are those that can kill 100,000s.
2011 New Zealand earth quake: 65
Come on there is just a bit of hypocrisy by some people here.
So, basically New Zealanders don’t care a damn, about earthquakes so small … when it happens in Turkey … need I say more?]
————————————————————————–
Mike. You are entitled to you opinion but may I opine that you know F**** all about New Zealanders or their concern and assistance given WILLINGLY to others in distress in ANY part of the world. AND FYI there has been a very strong bond between N.Zers and the Turks since the beat the S*** out of us off at Gallipoli almost 100 years ago. It is called mutual respect. (We were fighting a war for Britain at the time).
Also the death toll which currently stands at around 75 will undoubtedly rise to maybe 3-400 as they find the bodies. But this ain’t a numbers game here – it is about people grieving for the loss of life and a city that is loved. And for your information there has been a continued series of aftershock from the quake that occurred here on September 4th last – literally thousands of them and they will continue to persist over the next few months as well. It ain’t a picnic and it wears the spirit down to be continually bombarded with these things.
In a few days – nobody will talk about this on the net but at present we are taking time out to think about our sisters and brothers in Ch.Ch. now and to and wish them well.
Douglas
the AGW doomers, predictably jumped on this situation
“brantgoose 2011-02-22 01:44:02 PM
cretinbob: I don’t have time to look into it now, but it’d be interesting to see how much, if any, loss there has been to glaciers in New Zealand prior to these quakes. Subby may be on to something.
I saw one article that said it was the third largest calving of the glacier in 40 years, so there’s been at least two 30 million tonne plus loses. Losing that much ice at once could speed the flow of a glacier or accelerate its demise if it is retreating already.
I Googled “Tasman Glacier retreat” and Google added “extreme”. Not a good sign.
The Glacier is on its way out according to a 2008 article:
See the lake in the photos? It wasn’t there in 1973.
“In 1973 there was no lake in front of the Tasman Glacier, says Dr Martin Brook, lecturer in physical geography in the School of People, Environment and Planning. New measurements taken last week indicate the lake, formed by ice melt from the glacier, is now 7km long, 2km wide and 245m deep. The lake has been formed as the ice which makes up the glacier melts.”
So there you have it. Global warming is causing earthquakes and earthquakes are causing global warming.
No, seriously. A lot of small earthquakes occur as land depressed by glaciers or ice caps rebounds. 60,000,000,000 pounds is a small amount of ice compared to what is vanishing around the world, so a lot of small tremors can be expected in zones where large glaciers or ice caps are melting–i.e, Greenland, bits of the Andes, Switzerland, etc.
On the other hand, the loss of big chunks of ice can set a glacier back many yards, which only speeds up the melting in many cases (but not all–the exposed front of the glacier can become a bit more stable at its new location).
This is one of several ice and snow-related feedback loops feared by scientists. Sea level rise, change in albedo, warming of ocean uncoverd by ice floe retreat, melting permafrost, etc., are others. Ice and snow are, like other forms of water, extremely volatile–they can build up and retreat in relatively short periods of time. They are also poorly understood. That’s why earlier models used by the IPCC to calculate the likelihood of various degrees of global warming and sea level rise DID NOT INCLUDE THE EFFECTS OF ICE MELTING.
Some of the newer models include a better understanding of ice. The news is not good. Everything seems to be happening faster than expected and the effects are generally not promising.”
but good to see a geologist shooting it down as soon as they read it
“^whoever wrote that has no ****en clue about geomorphology or tectonics.”
A few months ago I commented here, boasting that we had just had a 7.1 magnitude earthquake in Christchurch, which resulted in zero deaths.
God I’m sucking in hard thinking about that now:(. The September earthquake had severely damaged a lot of buildings, and this one was a direct hit and very shallow, with a much greater lateral movement, at lunchtime – the result is devastation we cannot believe.
Currently 75 confirmed dead, 300 missing and the tallest building in the city about to collapse. Being largely built on a swamp, much of the soil around the city has liquefied, making many more buildings unstable.
Not good
Christchruch as we know it has gone.
Its so so bad down here.
It will take years to get over this.
And thanks to all the countries who have sent people to help those trapped.