2010 Canterbury earthquake

Template: Infobox earthquake / Maintenance / Tote missing

( 40 km west of Christchurch )

Christchurch

Road at the Avon River in Christchurch

The Darfield Earthquake of 2010, also known as the Christchurch Earthquake of 2010 was, with the strength of 7.1 MW and the damage caused in the city of Christchurch, the most serious earthquake in New Zealand since the Hawke's Bay earthquake of up to this point 1931, in which the city of Napier was almost completely destroyed. With two severely injured in the city of Christchurch, the quake was relatively lightly. In terms of damage to buildings and infrastructure destruction was very difficult. With an estimated 5 to 6 billion NZD (about 2.8 to 3.5 billion euros) cost was the earthquake of 4 September as the hitherto most expensive earthquake in New Zealand's history.

Tectonic background

The earthquake occurred as a result of strike-slip fault within the crust of the Pacific plate, near the eastern foothills of the Southern Alps, on the western edge of the Canterbury Plains.

The earthquake center was located about 40 km west of Christchurch near the town of Darfield and thus 80-90 km to the south and east of the actual course of the boundary between the Australian and Pacific plate by the island (along the Alpine Fault and the Hope Fault ). The earthquake, though it did not occur directly on the plate boundary, reflects the right-side movement at one of the numerous regional turmoil resist that is consistent with the general movement of these plates in conjunction and probably related to the general southern propagation of the Marlborough fault system in recent geologic time must be seen.

The Darfield earthquake of 4 September, about 50 km south-east took the point at which had occurred an earthquake of magnitude 7.1 on MS Arthur 's Pass on March 9, 1929 (see Arthur's Pass Earthquake of 1929).

The quake

The main quake, which occurred without warning in the morning of September 4, 2010 from 4:35 clock, was perceived by people as extremely strong and as a long, rolling and never-ending quake. It occurred in a fold that was no longer active for at least 16,000 years.

South of Darfield was created by the quake a running in an easterly direction, directly to Christchurch 22 km long fault, which had a up to 4 meters large lateral offset in their midst. In Christchurch itself was according to estimates by the emergency services more than 500 buildings severely damaged or brought down. Of the damaged buildings have to be demolished, according to current estimates probably many.

Located in the small town of Hororata, 15 km south-west of Darfield, the historic church of St John was heavily damaged. It was so in addition to the damage in Christchurch became a symbol of destruction caused by the earthquake.

Over 270 aftershocks from the magnitude 3 were recorded after the main quake in the following five days. 150 of these were felt by residents of the area. Of these, 60 were in the field of earthquake intensities from 4 to 4.9 and 10 aftershocks reported thicknesses from 5 to 5.5 MW, respectively measured on the moment magnitude scale on. GNS Science geologists warned of aftershocks that could reach thicknesses of more than 6 under certain circumstances. The most far-reaching aftershocks with a magnitude of 6.3 MW occurred on February 22, 2011 and addressed despite the lower energy released significantly greater damage than the main quake.