QUIESCENT EARTH

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 7, 8 July 1931, Page 9

QUIESCENT EARTH

SATURDAY'S DISTINCTION

Quite a number of people "got the wind up" about a severo earthquake which was prophesied to take place in Wellington on 4th July, Saturday last, and, this in spite of the emphatic pronouncements of seismologists' and scientists in general that to forecast aecurately'the time, place, and intensity of an earthquake is'impossible. All such forecasts are pure guesswork: if made often enough, however, in a country like New Zealand, subject to. earthquakes, the mark will be hit occasionally, but not more often than one might be expected by the laws of chance. As a matter of fact, noteven the slightest earth "tremor was recorded on 4th July. The- earthquake recording instruments at the Dominion Observatory, Kelburn, havo had no more to do during the last few days than usual. They frequently record earthquakes about which people as a whole know nothing—the minor shocks which are perpetually occurring, but which require delicate instruments to detect. Since the beginning of tills month there has been no shock recorded which could have been felt in Wellington. .. . Dr. C. E. Adams, Government Seismologist, has supplied tho following complete list. It will be noticed that on 4th July there was a complete absence of earth tremors, which is unusual, a-s some are usually recorded every day. Ist July: 9.17 p.m., very slight tremor; 9.19 p.m., very slight local shock; 9.45 p.m., slight shock originating 194 miles from Wellington, near Gisborne. 2nd July: 3.52 p.m. and 5.10 p.m., slight tremors; 6.41 p.m. and 8.9 p.m., slight shocks originating at Takaka. 3rd July: 2.1 p.m., very slight shock 48 miles from Wellington; 5.19 p.m., slight shock 13S miles away (probably Hawkes Bay). 4th July: Nothing at all. sth July: 11.46 a.m., tremor. 6th July: 7.S a.iru, slight tremorj 8.10 a.m., slight Htiwkes Bay, shock,