In the future I will be blogging at Greg Laden's blog, located at its original home at gregladen.com. - Liquefaction plays a role. So, yes, it is true that New Zealand has a lot of earthquakes, and one could even say that tectonic activity in New Zealand is ten times more frequent than it is in California. New Zealand is a new island nation. The Ring of Fire is located along the edges of a major tectonic plate. They look like an upside down ice cream cone with smoke coming from the peak. In New Zealand, volcanoes and earthquakes are related in that they are both caused by the tectonic plates our country sits on. In general, a volcanic eruption is accompanied by earthquakes. New Zealand ) - - - - | Quakes (show) all >M3 >M4 >M5 >M6 M7+ / past 24h - past 48h - past week - past 2 weeks / Archive. (Not an expert, just what I've picked up; it's the second time around on this for Chch. When that occurs there are two major effects that may occur: One of the plates dives under the other (subduction) and the other buckles, forming mountains. Based on what I see in your blog, similar problems are occurring as happened in New York on 9/11 with cell phones and such. It's so evident with volcanoes and earthquakes that we are just inhabiting the surface of so much planetary greatness happening underneath. -Johannes Kepler Our extremes are due to where our country sits. Table showing the current volcanic alert levels. Earthquakes tend to be concentrated at the edges of tectonic plates, as these areas build up energy as plates move in relation to each other. New Zealand has so many earthquakes and volcanoes because it is in the wrong place (at the juncture of two tectonic plates) at the wrong time (while one plate is diving beneath the other). This is because it sits plum on the Pacific Ring of Fire – unsurprisingly a volatile area. Q.E.D. I don't believe in god but there is a hire power but it not from this earth. New Zealand has had some amazing volcanic eruptions in its history, but most of our volcanoes are dormant (asleep) or extinct. Heavy usage draws on the batteries, and phone calls (as opposed to texts) tend to occupy the capacity. The Sep 4th event occurred in the wee hours of the morning, when all but those living in inner city apartments would be in the suburbs at home. A 6.3 earthquake has just struck the city of Christchurch, New Zealand, killing dozens and leaving dozens more buried in rubble with rescue workers trying to dig them out. It has a lot more material, but it's also a *lot* more chaotic! quibbilista: Well, that explains it, the flying spaghetti monster is upset that he is being spurned! Then, starting about 24 million years ago, the Australian plate (still spreading) and the Pacific plate started to interact more energetically, both moving towards each other and rinding past each other, causing the formation of the massive mountain ridges seen today in New Zealand, as well as a great deal of volcanic activity. We usually think of volcanoes as cones with smoke coming from the top – and it’s true for some volcanoes like Mt Ruapehu. Earthquakes are caused when tectonic plates shift and push over each other. (Well, except those few days I spent in Australia, but since we used to be part of Australia that barely counts...). The Hawaiian Islands are true oceanic islands. Choose either an earthquake or a volcanic eruption. But scientists say a volcano is an opening in the Earth’s crust in which lava, steam, gases or ash is ejected. And to say "thanks, Greg" ! New Zealand's most active volcano, White Island, sees thousands of tourists a year. With that many earthquakes happening in Christchurch, I would be relocating...Fast !! It's being predicted that the number ticking no religion is going to rise and the number ticking Christian is going to fall. The good news is that we get to enjoy rugged mountains for skiing and tramping and thermal spots for warm swims. Earthquakes occur on plate boundaries, including the boundary between the Pacific and Australian plates, which runs through New Zealand. Its land isn’t even 10,000 years old yet! Pretty much everything stayed standing during that one and there was no loss of life, but I think the buildings were just too weak to survive another large earthquake so close to the surface. (Haven't time to track it down, sorry. Volcanoes that have produced exceedingly voluminous pyroclastic eruptions and formed large calderas in the past 2 million years include Yellowstone, Long Valley in eastern California, Toba in Indonesia, and Taupo in New Zealand. New Zeland started out as a fragment of the ancient southern continent, Gondwana, and made up part of the land mass that is now Australia. Some volcanoes are actually deep craters called calderas. You'd have to see to get what I mean. Here the Nasca plate is pushing into South America. Auckland, New Zealand, is home to around 50 dormant volcanoes. All our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Christchurch, It's not just the magnitude. We are part of Science 2.0, a science education nonprofit operating under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. After about 50 million years of this, New Zealand sat low in the ocean and, mainly underwater, accumulated extensive marine sediments. We gave Hot Water Beach a spot on our list of the most amazing beaches in New Zealand where you’ll find more of our favorites! Then the magma squirts into the crack and starts building pressure again. "...But he said the earthquake hit central Christchurch with more than twice the intensity of the larger magnitude 7.1 but deeper-seated quake of September 4. Look at this blow-up of a map from Wikipedia showing the relative movements along boundaries of several tectonic plates: I've circled three things on this map, in green. Thick lava flows down the sides of the mountain and builds up steep sides. That’s just a blink of an eye in geologic terms. processes causing both volcanic and earthquake activity AO3 Demonstrates application of knowledge and understanding in a coherent and reasoned way in analysing why tectonic activity occurs in New Zealand 2 (Clear) 3-4 AO2 Shows some geographical understanding of the processes causing volcanic and/or earthquake activity AO3 Demonstrates reasonable application of knowledge and understanding … As others have said, the building standards in NZ are very high with specific earthquake-related elements. from a major non profit, click through the the X Blog to read the press release. Aside from shallowness of this quake -and unconsilidated sediments, are their any other explanations for the massive damage? The non-zero death toll in this one has been largely put down to the fact that people were at work in the central city (where the older buildings are) for this one, in contrast to the September quake which struck in the small hours of the morning while everyone was out their (comparatively) light, wooden homes in the suburbs. Also note, if you look really close, that New Zealand is not restricted to either plate, but rather, straddles the two. This is pretty energetic and can create substantial movements of earth, very large and complex fault systems, and plenty of earthquakes. Two tidbits from New Zealand: - A recent survey of volcanoes in the Kermadec Arc north of New Zealand suggest that there is abundant - and recent - undersea volcanism. Quality infrared cameras mounted also on fighters, but the possibility of detection of small objects is limited by the speed of aircraft. They tried to re-enter the building but were repeatedly thrown back away from the entrance way. There are areas where one plate is moving towards another, or two plates move towards each other. Why Haven't Crocodiles Evolved Much Since The Age Of The Dinosaurs? I often wonder over the millenia how many Islands that at one time were huge and habitable are now hidden under the waves somewhere. When we think of volcanoes, we often picture volcanoes like Mt Taranaki or Mt Ruapehu. Let's check...55.6 % Christian? GNS scientists gather this information to learn about our shaky country so they can warn us and try and reduce the risk of harm. - Importantly, this event occurred at a bad time, in the lunch hour with people out and about. We think about a lone genius, working outside the constraints of mainstream academia or mainstream thinking, working on something no one else works on. Around 100 to 150 are big enough for us to feel. The Christchurch quake, scientists say, was meanwhile part of the same spate that had seen thousands of quakes triggered by the 7.1 earthquake which … But this complexity can be characterized in a rather simple way that probably describes the geology of New Zealand quite accurately: Modern New Zealand is the froth that forms on the surface of the earth over a subduction zone, where one continental plate is diving under another. We live in a very exciting country. New Zealands volcanoes are located on North Island mostly within the Taupo Volcanic Zone. Thanks for the insights on the ChCh NZ building situation. GeoNet Geological hazard information for New Zealand. FAQ Glossary How Videos. When the powerful earthquake stopped, he picked himself up off the floor of the balcony and gazed across his city to see absolute devastation including numerous collapsed buildings and destroyed infrastructure. It says a lot in an image. I have a feeling that Scienceblogs will not last long without me. This type of volcano is called a cone volcano. Other 'supervolcanoes' would likely include the large caldera volcanoes of Japan, Indonesia, Alaska (e.g. quibblista: Interesting. New Zealand's Earthquake Commission and Geological Survey (GeoNet) reported a magnitude 4.2 quake in New Zealand near Upper Hutt, Upper Hutt City, Wellington, only 5 minutes ago. I wooda thunk that New Zealand being a rich enlightened country, and being in such a geologically active area would have very good construction standards. Interestingly, I hear the Chch cathedral had just received a couple of million dollars-worth of earthquake reinforcing, which may go some way to explaining why it was only the thin, flimsy bit at the top that fell off. Note here that the pacific plate is moving northwest, and the Australian plate is moving (actually, spreading) southeast, the two plates slamming into each other. Wouldn't you?? Ed was in the Coast…, Etna Week Part 1 New Zealand is a pretty secular country, so far no politician here has mentioned God or God's will or any of that nonsense in their responses to the earthquake. This is my last post at Scienceblogs.com. - Most of the heavy brick'n'mortar buildings are in the older parts of town, including the centre. It's a string of volcanoes in the Pacific Ocean, and the region is prone to earthquakes. New Zealand's most active volcano, White Island, sees thousands of tourists a year. The Pacific Ring of Fire is aptly named. Their GeoNet Project uses special equipment to observe and monitor the land. “When these super volcanoes erupted, they caused earthquakes, tsunamis, blew away mountains and covered continents in hot lava. Effects and responses of earthquakes Effects. Fats are the most…, "I much prefer the sharpest criticism of a single intelligent man to the thoughtless approval of the masses." No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it.” -Terry Pratchett This recent activity is primarily due to the country's position on the boundary between the … New Zealand has been rocked by a series of powerful earthquakes and a small tsunami over the last few days. New evidence of a 19th century earthquake on New Zealand's Alpine fault suggests that in at least one portion of the fault, smaller earthquakes may occur in between such large rupture events. New Zealand is on the boundary between the Australian and Pacific plates, which explains why the country has so many earthquakes and volcanoes. Thus proven as a false belief. The only effective way of detecting people under the rubble - it's infrared camera of a military helicopter. This is because it sits plum on the Pacific Ring of Fire – unsurprisingly a volatile area. There was quite a lot of chatter after the last Chch quake about them, and how many lives they had probably saved. New Zealand has so many earthquakes and volcanoes because it is in the wrong place (at the juncture of two tectonic plates) at the wrong time (while one plate is diving beneath the other). Not to worry Phillip V - We're 55.6% Christian only until the Census on Tuesday after next. Landslide. I don't know what happened in NYC, but a problem for us is that if the power goes out in a quake (as it does in large ones) the cell towers switch over to batteries, which only last for so long. This is New Zealand's shaky position on the wider Pacific Ring of Fire - an almost continuous belt of volcanoes and earthquakes around the rim of … I getting the impression the liquefaction occurred in areas it didn't before (?). The boundaries of these plates are called subduction, compression, extension and transform boundaries and movements here create volcanoes and earthquakes. It would be nice to that relected in the Census figures and the local skeptics have been pusing the 'if you don't beleive, don't tick the box' message. Dams Projects Reports. As is my husband, and a large number of my friends. A day’s drive in a car can take us from snowy mountains, past geysers and hot mud pools to white, sandy Pacific beaches. I don't care how large an island seems to be when you are standing in the middle of it..ex. These plates are colliding with huge force, causing one to slowly grind over, under or alongside the other. Well, both. For example, when Tarawera erupted in 1886, more than 30 earthquakes were felt in the Rotorua region just before the eruption. Home; Earthquake. https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/930-earthquakes-and-volcanoes The not so good news is that we also get shaky ground in the form of earthquakes and, less often, volcanic eruptions. Similarly, unusual earthquakes can also lead to volcanic eruptions. Magma rising from this “subduction” zone produces a line of active volcanoes known as a … It's because of the gays, or something else that gawd is mad at the Kiwis for. Cayhina232000, Hope friends or family in Christchurch are all right. Greg, You should be able to locate an USGS Pacific map featuring the "ring of fire" as it's nicknamed showing the earthquakes. The exact magnitude, epicenter, and depth of the quake might be revised within the next few … - A recent survey of volcanoes in the Kermadec Arc north of New Zealand suggest that there is abundant - and recent - undersea volcanism. Does one trigger the other? New Zealand has so many earthquakes and volcanoes because it is in the wrong place (at the juncture of two tectonic plates) at the wrong time (while one plate is diving beneath the other). New Zealand's Earthquake Commission and Geological Survey (GeoNet) reported a magnitude 4.2 quake in New Zealand near Upper Hutt, Upper Hutt City, Wellington, only 5 minutes ago. As the brittle crust gives way under the pressure, a fault ruptures and an earthquake is unleashed. One way to put this in perspective is to ask: What would happen in LA or San Francisco if there were five or six 5+ quakes in a few months, with one being a 7.1 right on the edge of town. Eric, the older buildings would have been strengthened (or should have) - it's a requirement. But not always - a new study suggests that many of these tremors aren't warnings, but aftershocks. Have you ever wondered why New Zealand has so many different types of landscapes? He said Tuesday's quake was of a force statistically unlikely to occur more than once in 1000 years and produced ground acceleration 1.5 to 1.8 times greater than modern buildings were designed to withstand.". The Building Code in New Zealand is for high quality surviable construction, two articles of interest arehttp://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10708582. See? Earthquakes in New Zealand occur because we are located on the boundary of two of the world’s major tectonic plates – the Pacific Plate and the Australian Plate. Much of the rock that makes up New Zealand is from the edge of that ancient continent, and uplift and subduction occurred several times because of the relative movement of the plates. Volcano Level Volcanic Activity Ruapehu 2 Moderate to heightened volcanic unrest. These pools ... those at the subduction juncture itself and those formed secondarily higher up ... are the source of lava for numerous volcanoes. / | List New Zealand is one of the most tectonically active countries in the world and sits astride the plate margin between the Australian plate and the Pacific plate. Earthquakes are caused by the release of built-up pressure at plate margins. As explained on CNN International this morning, Christ Church is especially vulnerable to quake damage because it is built on top of mostly sand. On the TV this morning, the mayor of Christchurch told his story: Having just left a series of meetings, he was sitting on a balcony outside the city offices in a tall building with his executive assistant planning their next activities when the quake struck. New Zealand was once dubbed The Shaky Isles due to it being one of the most seismically active countries in the world. (Hawaii) It is still an Island !! And yes, we are thankfully not a particularly religious country. 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As the geologists investigate the earthquake details are emerging for why it has been so devastating. In fact, earthquakes usually accompany a volcanic eruption. - The recent event is much closer and shallower. The most recent earthquake there, as I write this, was actually tomorrow, because New Zealand is on the other side of the international dateline so it occurred officially at 1:21 AM on the 23rd local time, but that was the most recent of several aftershocks. ScienceBlogs is where scientists communicate directly with the public. Earthquakes represent the release of that energy. Even more wonderful when we're not going through hell though :(. Clearly, earthquakes require the existence of a higher being as explanation, so if New Zealand has a lot of them, they obviously pray to the wrong god. The facts and evidence from the natural enviroment on why the earth behaves as it does (eg earthquakes, volcanoes and other geological and meteorological activity) and the animals (of which we are selves are) and plants are the way they are, is far more interesting and wholely believable; than saying it is a punishment from some mythological being that does not exist. GeoNet is New Zealand’s official source of earthquakes and volcanic alerts. That hasn’t…. As usual, Chris Rowan tells the details:http://all-geo.org/highlyallochthonous/2011/02/magnitude-6-3-earthquake…. The volcanism of New Zealand has been responsible for many of the country's geographical features, especially in the North Island and the country's outlying islands. Privacy statement. I too am an atheist. https://twitter.com/SenJeffMerkley/status/…, “Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrong. ), About reading about the earthquake at sciblogs, you're most welcome to read my post on it, but I think realistically you'd do better to look at my colleagues efforts. Past experience suggests that future eruptions in Auckland are likely to come from new vents rather than existing cones. Earthquakes Re: cell phones. There are a lot of myths we have in our society about how the greatest of all scientific advances happened. The magma exerts pressure on the rocks until it cracks the rock. Maybe it is time to rename the town to Nochurch. If you think we are the only one in this big space of the galaxy or universe your just stupid and you have a shallow mind. They can destroy buildings and infrastructure, with devastating and deadly effects. But what is New Zealand? New Zealand has different types of volcanoes. The exact magnitude, epicenter, and depth of the quake might be revised within the next few … Read this ScienceStruck article to learn more about the relationship between these two natural processes. Very interesting post, you just taught me quite a lot about a country I've lived in all my life! This one happened close to the surface, which made it so damaging. The most intense earthquake activity is where subduction is taking place, but there is some earthquake activity along the mid-ocean ridges and above mantle ‘hot-spots’ Earthquakes in New Zealand occur because we are located on the boundary of two of the world’s major tectonic plates – the Pacific Plate and the Australian Plate. Earthquakes and volcanic activity are closely related to each other. Both New Zealand and California sit on the edge of the Pacific Plate, but in very different places and on very different types of plate boundaries. Why does New Zealand have so many earthquakes and volcanoes? Hawaii is not on a continent. That island state consists of a series of volcanoes coming up from the middle of a plate, but not on a continental mass. Lots of earthquake proofing in those two cities, but there would be a lot of damage anyway. In fact, most earthquakes strike within the ring. It's a case of the data presented one way telling it's own story. re: the ring of fire, what I meant is that their (USGS) maps of all the (larger) quakes mapped onto the Pacific region is quite impressive. William Wehrum is a lawyer and once, apparently, worked for the EPA. To the lower right I've circled the western coast of South America. This generates both volcanic activity and deep-seated earthquakes whenever stress is built up and released by a sudden jutting forwards. The plates move up, the plates move down, you can't explain that. GNS Science is the Crown research institute responsible for monitoring earthquakes and volcanoes. 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