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Major Shake Up – Quakes and Tsunamis In New Zealand

November 14, 2016 by
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. about 11 hours ago 5.4 magnitude, 10 km depthKaikoura, Canterbury, New Zealand
    …. 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.

Filed Under: Earth Changes, Earthquakes, Social Awareness, tsunamis Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

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About Janet

Janet Starr Hull, PhD, CN has expressed a deep love and respect for the Earth since she was a very young child. She earned academic degrees in International Geography and Environmental Science. After 20 years of research, Dr. Hull uncovered evidence supporting her theory that the Earth’s geographic poles shift at the axis, causing dramatic climate change. Today, she is one of the world’s leading environmental experts promoting public environmental awareness. Connect with Dr. Hull on Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus.

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