Images from New Zealand’s Famous Earthquakes

Information taken from http://www.geonet.org.nz/index.html

• The raised platforms at Turakirae head mark old shorelines, visible as pale brown lines.

• The first line in from the present day coast is where the shoreline was in 1855, before the area was uplifted by the 1855 Wairarapa earthquake. You can see where the coast line has lifted up at least 3 times.

• In New Zealand's biggest historic 'quake, in 1855, The Wairarapa Fault moved about 15 metres sideways and about 6 metres vertically! As a result of this great earthquake, the whole Wellington region was severely shaken, uplifted and tilted to the west. In fact, the land and sea floor near the harbour rose up about 1 - 1.5 metres.

• After the earthquake the land level in Wellington Harbour was way higher so the wharves didn’t reach the sea!! The beach shown here is ‘new’ land after the 1855 earthquake. (8.2 on the Richter Scale)

• This surveyor stands at a fence that crosses the Hope Fault near Glynn Wye Station. The fence, originally straight, has been kinked to the right by the sideways movement of the land in the 1888 earthquake.

Murchison Earthquake 1929

• Before and after the Napier earthquake, 1931, the new land lifted out of the sea.

Napier Earthquake 1931. The quake and fire that followed caused the highest death toll from a disaster in NZ history.

Inangahua Earthquake, 1968

Edgecumbe Earthquake 1987, 6.3 on Richter Scale.

This quake knocked out electricity in EBOP for 3 days.

Gisborne, 2007, 6.8 on Richter scale.

• Tuatapere 16 July 2009

• 7.8 magnitude

http://www.geonet.org.nz/earthquake/historic-earthquakes/

• New Zealand's Top Earthquakes:• A list of significant New Zealand earthquakes (most recent first):• M 6.8, Gisborne, December 20 2007 This offshore event caused buildings to collapse in the Gisborne CBD. • M 6.5, Edgecumbe, March 2 1987 The shallow origin of this earthquake made it very destructive. • M 7.1, Inangahua, May 24 1968 The 1968 Inangahua earthquake caused widespread damage and was felt over

much of the country. • M 7.0, Wairarapa II, August 2 1942 The shock that struck the Wairarapa Region on August 2 was nearly as

severe as the disastrous June 24 earthquake five weeks earlier. • M 7.2, Wairarapa I, June 24 1942 This earthquake severely rocked the lower North Island on June 24 1942,

causing extensive damage to local buildings. • M 7.6, Horoeka (Pahiatua), March 5 1934 The 1934 Horoeka earthquake shook the lower North Island on March

5 1934 and was felt as far away as Auckland and Dunedin. • M 7.8, Hawke's Bay, February 3 1931 The 1931 Hawke’s Bay earthquake caused the largest loss of life and most

extensive damage of any quake in New Zealand’s recorded history. • M 7.8, Buller (Murchison), June 17 1929 The massive rumbling of the 1929 Buller earthquake was heard as far

away as New Plymouth. • M 7.1, North Canterbury, September 1 1888 In 1888 the Amuri District was shaken by a large earthquake that

reached intensities of MM 9. • M 8.2, Wairarapa, January 23 1855 The 1855 earthquake is the most severe earthquake to have occurred in New

Zealand since systematic European colonisation began in 1840. • M 7.8, Marlborough, October 16 1848 The earthquake that shook Marlborough on October 16 1848 was the

largest in a series of earthquakes to hit the region that year.• Photo Gallery: View a gallery of images from these historic earthquakes.