# Another large earthquake hits ChristChurch, New Zealand again



## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

Just seen on the news that our Garden Railroad freinds in ChristChurch got hit today with a 6.3 Earthquake.

Hope all is well

Randy


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## livesteam53 (Jan 4, 2008)

Hope all of our friends are ok. 

Looks like this one did some real serious damage. 


All of Christchurch people are in my prayers tonight.

Deadly quake rocks New Zealand

A strong quake has hit New Zealand's second-biggest city of Christchurch, toppling buildings, causing "multiple fatalities", trapping people beneath rubble and sparking fires. Local TV showed bodies being pulled out of rubble strewn around the city centre, though it was unclear whether any of them were alive, but police reported "multiple fatalities" after the 6.3 magnitude quake struck during the busy lunchtime. 

Unlike last year's even stronger tremor, which struck early in the morning when streets were virtually empty, the streets, shops and offices in the city of almost 400,000 were thronging with people when the shallow tremor struck. It hit at 12:51 pm (2351 GMT) at a depth of only 4 kilometres, according to the U.S. Geological Survey's Web site.


"It's huge, it's just huge," a priest told a TV reporter outside the remains of the city's stone cathedral, part of which had been reduced to a pile of large sandstone blocks. "I just don't know whether there are people under this rubble," he said, before he appeared to add in a quiet voice: "I think so."


The tremor was centered about 10 km southwest of Christchurch, which had suffered widespread damage during last September's 7.1 magnitude quake but no deaths. The region has been struck by thousands of aftershocks since the original quake.


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

I've just been reading the latest reports, really sounds bad.


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## wigginsn (Jan 9, 2008)

Not good at all. Body count is 65, it is expected to rise. Over 200 still missing as night falls. Many (thousands) cannot get back into inner city hotels or damaged housing and are in tents in the central city park tonight. 

It struck at lunchtime, many were buried under falling rubble, at least one 7 storey building is now completely flat. One amazing story of three women working on the 5th floor looked out after the collapse (through the now missing side wall) to find themselves at ground level and were helped out by people in the street. This was a few hundred metres from where I work. 

This will take some recovery. Thank you for your thoughts. We are ok but very shaken - no pun intended. 

Neil


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## tacfoley (Jan 3, 2008)

Thought and prayers for you all there, Neil. An ex-GF of mine lives there... 

tac 
www.ovgrs.org 
Supporter of the Cape Meares Lighthouse Restoration Fund


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## tmtrainz (Feb 9, 2010)

This earthquake's epicenter was very shallow (4 km), no doubt leading to most of the damage. My thoughts and prayers to those affected by this. 


== PRELIMINARY EARTHQUAKE REPORT == 



Region: SOUTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND 
Geographic coordinates: 43.513S, 172.638E 
Magnitude: 6.3 M 
Depth: 4 km 
Universal Time (UTC): 21 Feb 2011 23:51:42 
Time near the Epicenter: 22 Feb 2011 12:51:42 
Local standard time in your area: 21 Feb 2011 18:51:42 

Location with respect to nearby cities: 
5 km (3 miles) NNW (330 degrees) of Christchurch, New Zealand 
211 km (131 miles) SSE (157 degrees) of Westport, New Zealand 
304 km (189 miles) SW (215 degrees) of WELLINGTON, New Zealand


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## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

Neil... I, too have just read some of the reports and seen the images of the devastation. It's mind boggling. 

May relief help be swift..... 

Our prayers are raised for you and your country.


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

I sure hope all of our kiwi friends are safe, that was a very bad one. 

Even though the quake was smaller than the larger one that hit recently NZ, this one was far worse in that it was a shallow quake (more energy actually reaches the surface), its was under an urban area, and it hit during midday when most people would be at work. This was similar to Northridge quake here in two respects (it was 4am), but the damage is far worse. This is the exact kind of quake we live in fear of here in LA and SF, sharp, shallow and under the metro center. 

Watching the aerial coverage I'm struck by how random the building collapses appear, some types of failure are to be expected, older non-reinforced buildings like the church, but some of those that collapsed look very modern while in the background older brick buildings nearby rode it out seamingly undamaged, I wonder if there might have been some isolated soil condition that made it worse for some than for others, I know that is a big factor here. Very interesting and very scary subject matter.


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## wigginsn (Jan 9, 2008)

Vic, 

The recorded peak ground acceleration at a site near the epicenter was 0.95g (Lyttleton). Christchurch Hospital recorded 0.6g. Early reports are that these were 2 - 3 times the Sept 7 values but I haven't trawled thru the data to check. Shallow and close like you say is bad news. 

Although electrical is my field, I know we design power utility installations to 0.75g in two planes (with additional spectral data but that bit is over my head..). It would be safe to say that the ground acceleration was beyond the design parameters of alot structures in the CBD. I suspect that even those buildings standing will have suffered structural damage. The stairwell in the (modern) building I work in looked to have separation cracks between the precast stair blocks and the main core structure as we left the building but as you can imagine I didn't stop to look closely. ; ) 

S & R experts from Aus have arrived already, similar folk from the States are on the way. We certainly will need the help. 

Neil.


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Neil glad your OK, .95 is scary stuff, thats almost a full G laterally for all you non-scentificy types, thats like taking .95 of the building wieght and applying it sideways to the buildings structure, looking at the damage I would also not be surprised if there was a high rate of vertical acceleration as well, thats was what made Kobe and Northridge so damaging, it was a blind slip-strike fault, the ground went up and down as well as side to side, most modern buildings can survive a 6 range quake when the motion is side to side, but add that same force vertically with the weight of the building now going up and down, theres simply very little extra you can engineer into a building for that kind of motion. 

...and Niel DONT go back into that building for any reason whatsoever until its been declared safe, which I doubt it will be based on your description. One good aftershock and it could come right down. Precast buildings seam to fair poorly in quakes.


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## tacfoley (Jan 3, 2008)

I'd like publicly thank Neil for a great favour he did me just now. He took time out from a busy and probably frantic schedule to check a phone number for me - thankfully all was well. 

I owe you one, pal. 

tac 
www.ovgrs.org 
Supporter of the Cape Meares Lighthouse Restoration Fund


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