Major Shake Up – Quakes and Tsunamis In New Zealand

A USGS small globe showing the May 1, 2013 earthquake swarm around Vanuatu.

Earthquakes are on the rise in the South Pacific – USGS

What happens when you have 7.8 and 6.5 magnitude earthquakes along the New Zealand coastline in the same day?

After you pick yourself up from the floor, you realize that the buildings around you are crumbling, and a tsunami wave is heading your way.

Quakes Nov 13, 2016

On Saturday, Nov 12, 2106, New Zealand experienced 10 earthquakes around 5.0 magnitude, and then the Earth broke loose.  On Sunday, Nov 13, 2106, the island around Wellington was under a quake assault.

The following 36 quakes are in timeline order (first quake to most recent):

  1. a day ago 6.1 magnitude, 16 km depth Kaikoura, Canterbury, New Zealand
  2. a day ago 5.7 magnitude, 10 km depth Blenheim, Marlborough, New Zealand
  3. a day ago 6.5 magnitude, 10 km depth Kaikoura, Canterbury, New Zealand
  4. a day ago 5.8 magnitude, 10 km depth Kaikoura, Canterbury, New Zealand
  5. a day ago 7.8 magnitude, 23 km depth Amberley, Canterbury, New Zealand
  6. a day ago 5.0 magnitude, 13 km depth Brooklyn, Wellington, New Zealand
  7. a day ago 4.9 magnitude, 10 km depth Kaikoura, Canterbury, New Zealand
  8. a day ago 5.2 magnitude, 9 km depth Amberley, Canterbury, New Zealand
  9. a day ago 5.2 magnitude, 9 km depth Amberley, Canterbury, New Zealand
  10. a day ago 5.2 magnitude, 10 km depth Kaikoura, Canterbury, New Zealand
  11. a day ago 5.2 magnitude, 19 km depth Blenheim, Marlborough, New Zealand
  12. about 24 hours ago 4.9 magnitude, 4 km depth Kaikoura, Canterbury, New Zealand
  13. about 23 hours ago 5.2 magnitude, 10 km depth Blenheim, Marlborough, New Zealand
  14. about 23 hours ago 6.2 magnitude, 8 km depth Kaikoura, Canterbury, New Zealand
  15. about 23 hours ago 5.3 magnitude, 10 km depth Blenheim, Marlborough, New Zealand
  16. about 23 hours ago 4.9 magnitude, 20 km depth Blenheim, Marlborough, New Zealand
  17. about 23 hours ago 4.2 magnitude, 10 km depth Blenheim, Marlborough, New Zealand
  18. about 21 hours ago 5.1 magnitude, 14 km depth Blenheim, Marlborough, New Zealand
  19. about 20 hours ago 5.2 magnitude, 10 km depth Kaikoura, Canterbury, New Zealand
  20. about 19 hours ago 4.5 magnitude, 10 km depth Amberley, Canterbury, New Zealand
  21. about 19 hours ago 4.9 magnitude, 10 km depth Kaikoura, Canterbury, New Zealand
  22. about 18 hours ago 4.8 magnitude, 10 km depth Blenheim, Marlborough, New Zealand
  23. about 18 hours ago 4.7 magnitude, 10 km depth Blenheim, Marlborough, New Zealand
  24. about 18 hours ago 5.1 magnitude, 10 km depth Kaikoura, Canterbury, New Zealand
  25. about 17 hours ago 5.1 magnitude, 8 km depth Blenheim, Marlborough, New Zealand
  26. about 17 hours ago 4.6 magnitude, 10 km depth Blenheim, Marlborough, New Zealand
  27.  about 17 hours ago 4.9 magnitude, 10 km depth Kaikoura, Canterbury, New Zealand
  28.  about 17 hours ago 4.9 magnitude, 10 km depth Kaikoura, Canterbury, New Zealand
  29.  about 15 hours ago 5.1 magnitude, 10 km depth Kaikoura, Canterbury, New Zealand
  30. about 15 hours ago 4.2 magnitude, 10 km depth Kaikoura, Canterbury, New Zealand
  31.  about 14 hours ago 5.0 magnitude, 11 km depth Kaikoura, Canterbury, New Zealand
  32.  about 13 hours ago 4.6 magnitude, 13 km depth Blenheim, Marlborough, New Zealand
  33. about 13 hours ago 5.2 magnitude, 10 km depth Blenheim, Marlborough, New Zealand
  34.  about 12 hours ago 6.5 magnitude, 10 km depth Kaikoura, Canterbury, New Zealand
  35.  about 11 hours ago 5.2 magnitude, 10 km depth Kaikoura, Canterbury, New Zealand
  36. …. 36 earthquakes in less than 24 hours; 3 quakes over 6.0, and 1 quake almost an 8.0 

Tsunami

High waves crashing on the sea shore.

High waves reached the shore after tsunami warnings went out.

Hours after the initial quake (and seriously, which one?), two tsunami threats were issued – one from the quake, and the second warning went out for residents to flee to high ground after a Slip Dam on the Clarence River breached, sending a large wall of water downstream.

Waves of about 2 metres did hit the coast, but the tsunami threat had been downgraded to coastal warnings.

Two people were killed in the quake. This isn’t over yet, I suspect.

More Earthquakes Are Occurring These Days

The Earth with bricks falling around it.

Big earthquakes are occurring all over the world.

The deep engine of earthquakes cranked up this weekend (September 23 – 25, 2016) when there were some big magnitude quakes all over the world.

We always pay attention when big ones occur around Japan, but 5.0+ to 6.0+ magnitude (and above) earthquakes were creating local tsunamis around the small islands in the Pacific Region.

Take a trip around the world, and go to a world map to see where these quakes have occurred.

Friday

  1. 6.5 Philippines (local tsunami)
  2. 5.6 Romania
  3. 5.8 New Zealand

Saturday

  1. 5.6 Jayapura, Indonesia
  2. 6.3 Tonga
  3. 6.8 Fiji (local tsunami)
  4. 5.9 New Zealand

Sunday

  1. 6.0 Nago, Japan
  2. 5.0 Chile

Earthquakes Are Heating Up Chile – Is The USA West Coast Next?

The USGS small globe at Chile.

There is an increase in large earthquakes occurring in Chile, and they haven’t stopped.

September 15, 2015, Chile experienced some moderate earthquakes just like any other day. Nothing was too unusual – until the big quakes started, and two days later, as of September 17th, they are still occurring.

After merely 48 hours, Chile has experienced over 58 earthquakes over a magnitude of 4.5. And, the quakes keep coming.

These quakes are a sign that the Nazca Plate, east of the East Pacific Rise, is seriously moving.  In situations like this, we also want to carefully watch the US West Coast, especially the volatile Juan de Fuca Plate west of Washington State.

Chile Quakes Beginning 9-15-15

In order of occurrence.

  1. 4.4  San Antonio, Chile
  2. 4.2  Iquique, Chile
  3. 5.0  Iquique, Chile
  4. 4.9  Iquique, Chile

Chile Quakes 9-16-15

High waves crashing on the sea shore.

High waves will reach the Hawaiian Islands after tsunami warnings went out for the Pacific Islands and the coastline of Chile.

In order of occurrence.

  1. 4.6  Iquique, Chile
  2. 4.8  Iquique, Chile
  3. 4.8  Iquique, Chile
  4. 8.3 Illapel, Chile (tsunami warnings are out for the Chilean coastline,  Pacific island coastlines, and advisories are out for Hawaii.)
  5. 6.4  Illapel, Chile
  6. 6.1  Illapel, Chile
  7. 6.2  Illapel, Chile
  8. 7.0 Illapel, Chile
  9. 5.7  Illapel, Chile
  10. 5.3  Ovalle, Chile
  11. 4.9  Illapel, Chile
  12. 4.9  Illapel, Chile
  13. 5.2  Illapel, Chile
  14. 5.8  Illapel, Chile
  15. 6.4  Illapel, Chile
  16. 4.9  Illapel, Chile
  17. 6.5  Ovalle, Chile
  18. 5.3  Illapel, Chile
  19. 5.0  Ovalle, Chile
  20. 6.7 Illapel, Chile
  21. 5.4  Ovalle, Chile
  22. 5.5  Illapel, Chile
  23. 5.1  Ovalle, Chile
  24. 5.2  Illapel, Chile
  25. 4.8  Ovalle, Chile

Chile Earthquakes 9- 17-15

In order of occurrence:

  1. 4.9  Illapel, Chile
  2. 4.8  Ovalle, Chile
  3. 5.2  Illapel, Chile
  4. 5.5  Illapel, Chile
  5. 4.7  Illapel, Chile
  6. 4.7  Illapel, Chile
  7. 4.8  Ovalle, Chile
  8. 5.0  Putre, Chile
  9. 4.7 Illapel, Chile
  10. 5.1  Illapel, Chile
  11. 5.1  Ovalle, Chile
  12. 5.5  Ovalle, Chile
  13. 5.3  Vina del Mar, Chile
  14. 5.4  offshore Coquimbo, Chile
  15. 5.5  offshore Coquimbo, Chile
  16. 4.7  offshore Coquimbo, Chile
  17. 5.2  Coquimbo, Chile
  18. 4.1  offshore Coquimbo, Chile
  19. 4.8  offshore Coquimbo, Chile
  20. 5.1  offshore Coquimbo, Chile
  21. 4.8  offshore Coquimbo, Chile
  22. 4.4  offshore Coquimbo, Chile
  23. 4.7  Coquimbo, Chile
  24. 4.4  Coquimbo, Chile
  25. 4.5  offshore Coquimbo, Chile
  26. 4.9  offshore Coquimbo, Chile
  27. 4.7  offshore Valparaiso, Chile
  28. 5.4  offshore Coquimbo, Chile
  29. 4.2  offshore Coquimbo, Chile (as of 04.20 CST)

This list is growing as the quakes keep coming in, and the quakes are moving northward along the plate boundaries.