More ’quakes may occur ‘this year’

Press, 10 March 1987, Page 1

More ’quakes may occur ‘this year’

By

GARY BIRKETT

Canterbury could be struck by another earthquake this year similar to the moderate one which jolted the region early yesterday morning. The acting superintendent of the Seismological Observatory in Wellington, Dr Euan Smith, said about four or five earthquakes of its scale were expected each year between the East Cape and Kaikoura. “All along the east coast, the Pacific Plate is nose-diving and as it flexes quite a lot of earthquakes are generated,” he said. Yesterday’s earthquake measured 5.25 on the Richter scale and was centred in Pegasus Bay about 80km north-east of Christchurch. The last big earthquake to hit Christchurch was in 1968, centred near Inangahua and measuring 7 on the Richter scale. A jolt was felt about 7.18 a.m. yesterday, which was followed by a swaying motion for about 20 seconds. Two aftershocks were recorded but were too small to be felt by the public. Dr Smith said the earthquake occurred at a depth of between 30km and 40km, deeper than the Bay of Plenty earthquake. “The deeper the earthquake, the less likely you are to get aftershocks of any magnitude,” he said. The earthquake caused minor damage to about 30 properties in Canterbury, according to the Regional Civil Defence Officer, Mr Laurie Elder.

He said damage was confined to chimney tops, broken windows, cracks in driveways, paths and brick walls. A small rock fall in the Lyttelton rail tunnel was cleared soon after by Railways staff.

Mr Elder said he had received no reports of damage to railway lines or of slips delaying trains. An overload switch on

an electricity transformer was probably activated by the jolt and cut power to the Kaiapoi area for about 40 minutes. “At least this has reminded people that any area in New Zealand is likely to experience an earthquake of one size or another at any time. People should be thankful that this was 80km away and out to sea rather than under the city,” he said. In central Christchurch, office workers watched windows flex and saw multi-storeyed buildings sway for several seconds. People reported their homes creaking, cupboard doors being flung open and ornaments being

knocked from tables and shelves. The earthquake was felt as far afield as Hanmer Springs, Cheviot, Ashburton and Greymouth. The Cheviot County Clerk, Mrs Andrea Smith, said the earthquake frightened some people, but no serious damage pad been reported. Earthquakes have killed 289 people in New, Zealand since 1843, most* of the deaths occurring in the Hawke’s Bay earthquake of 1931 when 256 people were killed. Seventeen people were killed in the Murchison earthquake and three people died in the Inangahua earthquake.