MODERATE EARTHQUAKE EARLY YESTERDAY

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29802, 19 April 1962, Page 9

MODERATE EARTHQUAKE EARLY YESTERDAY

A moderate earthquake, of force 5.2 on the Richter scale, was felt in Canterbury and the Weet Coast and over most of the northern half of the South Island and the southern half of the North Island yesterday morning. The esrthquake was recorded at the Seismological Observatory, Wellington, as beginning at 5.43 a.m. and lasting about two minutes. On the Richter figures, it was about one-third as severe as that which wrecked Agadir in Morocco in February, 1960. The epicentre of the earthquake was at sea about 50 miles off Kaikoura, about 100 miles from Christchurch and 110 miles from Wellington. The shake was felt rather more severely here than in the capital, but it was Wellington’s second earthquake within 13 hours. A shock of Richter magnitude 2.8, with an epicentre within 10 miles of Wellington, had been felt there at 5.34 p.m. on Tuesday. When yesterday morning’s earthquake happened, tne Shell Oil Company’s coastal tanker Tanea, bound from Oamaru to Wellington, was almost directly over the epicentre. The shake was distinctly felt, and gave rise to some alarm since the sensation was not unlike that of the ship striking some object In Christchurch, persons were still mostly in their beds. The shake seemed horizontal, in a north-south direction, and was accompanied by one or two loud bangs. No damage was reported. No damage was caused in Kaikoura. The earthquake was felt by most residents although they did not consider it to be very strong. A resident in Rangiora said that just before the earthquake there was a rumbling sound similar to heavy machinery being driven on the road. Many persons were woken by the earthquake, but no damage was reported.

In Cheviot the earthquake lasted for about 10 seconds. There was a slight rumbling sound just before the shock and some residents said they felt another slight jolt about 6.9 a.m. No damage was reported. A double jolt, lasting about 15 seconds, was felt by Amberley residents. The earthquake was described as pot being particularly strong and it passed unnoticed by some residents. No damage wag reported.