EARTHQUAKE PHENOMENA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20870, 12 May 1931, Page 10

EARTHQUAKE PHENOMENA.

DOMINION'S VISITATIONS. NEED OF CLOSE STUDY. Tim first occasion upon which actual uplift of land as a result of an earthquake was observed was during the great Wellington earthquake of 1848. which occupies an important place in Ihe scientific study of earthquakes. This fact was mentioned by Professor .T. A. Bartrum during an illustrated lecture on " Earthquakes and Earthquake Phenomena," given to members of the Auckland Institute and Museunj and the Workers' Educational Association last evening. " We have our fault lines near Auckland," said Professor Bartrum. There was one near Papakura, another follow ing the valley through Papakura to Clevedrin, and a third up the valley of the Wairoa River gorge forming Happy Valley. However, there was no sign of recent movement and these fault, lines were not considered to be of great moment. Nevertheless, Auckland should not regard itself as immune, although it was not so likely to experience severe shocks as some other places in New Zealand. After detailing the main causes of earthquakes and describing tho various types of earth movements Professor Bartrum showed lantern slides of examples of earth movements which had accompanied the great eanhquakes at Napier arid Murchison Over a number of years New Zealand, he said, had experienced an average of 280 shocks a year. In 1929 following the Murchison upheaval there had been 678. Compared with Japan, which had as many as 2000 a year, the total was not so heavy, but New Zealand was not doing its duty to itself and to other parts of 'lie world in neglecting a scientific study of the phenomena. Earthquake study was only 45 years old, but a remarkable fund of information had been secured in that time. Japan had led the way in that respect and had learned that there was a fairly regular cyelo of intense shocks. There was. no reason why there should not be such a definite cycle in New Zealand and in the light of the recent disasters there was every need of the closest investigation.