EARTHQUAKES IN NEW ZEALAND

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21992, 16 January 1937, Page 11

EARTHQUAKES IN NEW ZEALAND

Tremors Most Frequent ■ln March

"GRAVITY OF PROBLEM

NOT APPRECIATED"

(rBES3 ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.)

AUCKLAND, January 15

The generally current opinion that Auckland is immune from the danger of earthquakes was referred to by Mr R. C. Hayes, Acting Dominion Seismologist, in addressing the physics section of the Science Congress. "That Auckland is not immune from such shocks was amply demonstrated by a particularly violent earthquake which occurred near the town in .1834-35. In fact," said Mr Hayes, "places .which are continually experiencing small tremors are more likely to avoid any serious upheavals than places where no shocks have been recorded over a long period. Minor tremors act as safety valves in relieving the stresses which are continually being built up." The importance of earthquakes in the Dominion was fully realised by the authorities, and, apart from the two main observatories at Wellington and Christchurch, there were 11 subsidiary stations in New Zealand and one in the Chatham Islands, he continued. In addition, a seismograph would be installed shortly at Kaitaia, providing valuable coverage in the extreme north.

In investigating past earthquakes in the Dominion, Mr Hayes has found that they tend to occur mainly in March, with a secondary lr.aximum in September. January is most free from disturbance. Earthquakes tend to occur most frequently over the central part of the North Island and in Nelson, which account for from 15 to 30 per cent, of the total. The most violent earthquakes occur in the Hawke's Bay and Wellington provinces, and over the northern part of the South Island from Kaikoura northward.

The nossibility that New Zealanders were living in a "fool's paradise," and that the gravity of the earthquake problem was not sufficiently appreciated in this country were emphasised Dr, L. Bastings, in a subsequent paper. Dr. Bastings urged that our model earthquake building by-laws were far from satisfactory, and that scientific consideration should be given to the type of sub-soil upon which buildings were erected, as the nature of this vitally affected the safety of buildings in a severe tremor. , "Most people believe that although we experience some earthquakes here, Japan is far more dangerous a place to live in." added Dr. Bastings. "As a matter of fact. New Zealand experiences more violent earthquakes for its area than does Japan."