1843 Wanganui earthquake

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Wanganui

The Wanganui Earthquake of 1843 was the first earthquake in New Zealand, which was officially registered.

The settlement of New Zealand by Europeans was still at the beginning and by the Māori there were only oral traditions and legends. The experience with earthquakes on the part of the settlers was still low and the technical possibilities of carrying out measurements limited arg. For this reason, the data location for this event is poor and geological research on cause and effect of the quake are difficult.

Quake

It is clear that the earthquake on July 8, 1843 occurred. It is estimated at a magnitude of 7.5 on the Richter scale, the epicenter of the quake is believed near the present town of Wanganui.

It was spoken by a powerful earthquake that people had difficulty walking. Many houses were damaged and a church in Putiki, ( today part of Wanganui ), which was built of brick, was destroyed. Documented is the death of two people who were buried in a landslide. In the river bed of the Whanganui River are deep cracks have arisen and have slipped into the river, a large area of the Shakespeare Cliff.

Investigations of landslides on the coast south of Cape Kidnappers in the Hawke's Bay region, which can be attributed to the year 1843, led to the consideration that the center of the quake could have perhaps located more to the east, which the landslides in the Hawke's would better explain Bay. Also, cracks in the ground near Napier could be explained better.