tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8739363188963959111.post7775963978073818468..comments2024-03-28T17:18:45.278+00:00Comments on Ex AAS 58A Harrogate/Chepstow: NOTICE BOARDHank Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03425664650562217095noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8739363188963959111.post-12178220527071650502010-09-14T10:26:10.205+01:002010-09-14T10:26:10.205+01:00G’Day From Bill Jenner
Just a bit on the big news ...G’Day From Bill Jenner<br />Just a bit on the big news here in NZ, the earthquake in Christchurch you might be interested or just want to put it in your rubbish bin. The earthquake that happened in Christchurch was a 7.1 magnitude on the Richter scale. It is the biggest one to hit NZ since 1931, it was thought that Christchurch was well away from the main fault line, but old mother nature wasn’t having any of that, they are now saying that it happened on a previously unknown fault that last ruptured 16,000 years ago, don’t ask me how they can date a previous rupture. The amazing thing is that no one was killed, maybe it was the fact that it happened at 0435 and everyone was at home, the building code in NZ takes into account the effects of earthquakes as we get them on a regular bases. About 50,000 properties have been affected, with about 1,000 now unliveable and as time goes on I think that that number will increase. The centre of town seems to be the worst affected, with the fronts of buildings having fallen down, these are now being demolished, the sad thing is that they are mostly old building dating back to the mid 1800’s, we haven’t got much history in this country, unlike the UK, so by loosing these buildings we are loosing a big part of the history of this country. Since the quake there have been over 300 after shocks mostly in the 3 to 5 magnitude range but there have been two 5.4 and one 5.1 which has caused more damage, but of course the experts are saying that people should expect one about 6.1, just what the people of Christchurch want to hear. It has been interesting seeing the effect on the landscape once flat pasture is now rippled and even a river has changed course, one of the most amazing things is that the sub soil has been forced to the surface a mixture of mud and sand in some places up to 4 Ft thick, the big thing that has come out of this is how people have railed to help each other, even the university students have got stuck in and are helping with the clean up, but it is going to be many months if not years before they get back to normal that is if they do As I have already said we get quite a few earthquakes the main fault line comes ashore in the central north island and runs down the south island more or less down a range of mountains called the main divide, since the one in Christchurch there have been a couple of small ones in the central and lower north island. We are lucky here in Auckland as we are well away from that area; if we are to have any problems with Mother Nature it will be Volcanic as Auckland is built on a dormant Volcano [we like to think that it is extinct] but only time will tell, I guess that’s enough of the doom and gloom, I hope that I haven’t bored you to much. Hope to hear from you soon<br />Cheers for now<br />Bill JennerHank Lawrencehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03425664650562217095noreply@blogger.com