1863 Hawke's Bay earthquake

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1863 Hawke's Bay earthquake
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UTC  time1863-02
Local date23 February 1863 (1863-02-23)
Local time01:15 NZDT (UTC+13)
Magnitude7.5 Mw [1]
Depth25 kilometres (16 mi)
Epicentre 40°00′S176°30′E / 40.00°S 176.50°E / -40.00; 176.50
Areas affected New Zealand

The 1863 Hawke's Bay earthquake was a devastating magnitude 7.5 Mw earthquake that struck near the town of Waipukurau on 23 February 1863. [1] [2] [3] It remained the single largest earthquake to strike Hawke's Bay until 1931, where a magnitude 7.8 quake levelled much of Napier and Hastings, and killed 256 people.

Contents

Tectonic setting

New Zealand lies along the boundary between the Indo-Australian Plate and Pacific Plates. In the South Island most of the relative displacement between these plates is taken up along a single dextral (right lateral) strike-slip fault with a major reverse component, the Alpine Fault. In the North Island the displacement is mainly taken up along the Hikurangi Subduction Zone, although the remaining dextral strike-slip component of the relative plate motion is accommodated by the North Island Fault System (NIFS), which runs from Wellington, up Hawke's Bay and through to Gisborne and the Bay of Plenty. The 1863 earthquake is believed to have occurred outside the Mohaka Fault, just west of Waipukurau.[ citation needed ]

Reported effects

Residents living in Hawke's Bay at the time reported numerous landslides, as well as vast soil liquefaction and the opening of large fissures in the ground. Residents also reported overturned furniture and snapped chimneys. According to The Hawke's Bay Herald, there was considerable damage to stock in stores and hotels, and although some chimney bricks fell through roofs, no major injuries were reported. Houses were shaken off their piles. Aftershocks continued at short intervals for the rest of the morning. [4]

Outside of Hawke's Bay, the earthquake woke many people in Wellington, causing minor structural damage but had a large toll on personal belongings. The Wellington Independent noted that the initial earthquake lasted 30–40 seconds and was followed by several smaller aftershocks. [4]

In Wanganui, the earthquake was described as the sharpest shock in both duration and severity since the magnitude 8.2 Wairarapa earthquake in 1855. However, no damage was sustained. [4]

In Nelson the earthquake was felt as three sharp shocks in quick succession at about 1:20 a.m. [4]

In Gisborne the earthquake was felt, but did not cause any damage. [5]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake</span> Deadliest earthquake in New Zealand

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alpine Fault</span> Large geological fault in New Zealand

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The 1888 North Canterbury earthquake occurred at 4:10 am on 1 September following a sequence of foreshocks that started the previous evening, and whose epicentre was in the North Canterbury region of the South Island of New Zealand. The epicentre was approximately 35 kilometres (22 mi) west of Hanmer.

The 1855 Wairarapa earthquake occurred on 23 January at about 9.17 p.m., affecting much of the Cook Strait area of New Zealand, including Marlborough in the South Island and Wellington and the Wairarapa in the North Island. In Wellington, close to the epicentre, shaking lasted for at least 50 seconds. The moment magnitude of the earthquake has been estimated as 8.2, the most powerful recorded in New Zealand since systematic European colonisation began in 1840. This earthquake was associated with the largest directly observed movement on a strike-slip fault, maximum 18 metres (59 ft). This was later revised upward to about 20 m (66 ft) slip, with a local peak of 8 m (26 ft) vertical displacement on lidar studies. It has been suggested that the surface rupture formed by this event helped influence Charles Lyell to link earthquakes with rapid movement on faults.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Island Fault System</span> Fault zone of the east coast of New Zealands North Island

The North Island Fault System (NIFS) is a set of southwest–northeast trending seismically-active faults in the North Island of New Zealand that carry much of the dextral strike-slip component of the oblique convergence of the Pacific Plate with the Australian Plate. However despite at least 3 km (1.9 mi) of uplift of the axial ranges in the middle regions of the fault system during the last 10 million years most of the shortening on this part of the Hikurangi Margin is accommodated by subduction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wellington Fault</span> Active seismic fault in New Zealand

The Wellington Fault is an active seismic fault in the southern part of the North Island of New Zealand. It is a dextral (right-lateral) strike-slip fault with variable amounts of vertical movement causing uplift to the northwest, as expressed by a series of ranges. It forms part of the North Island Fault System, which accommodates the transfer of displacement along the oblique convergent boundary between the Indo-Australian Plate and Pacific Plate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">June 2011 Christchurch earthquake</span> Earthquake in New Zealand

The June 2011 Christchurch earthquake was a shallow magnitude 6.0 Mw earthquake that occurred on 13 June 2011 at 14:20 NZST. It was centred at a depth of 7 km (4.3 mi), about 5 km (3 mi) south-east of Christchurch, which had previously been devastated by a magnitude 6.2 MW earthquake in February 2011. The June quake was preceded by a magnitude 5.9 ML tremor that struck the region at a slightly deeper 8.9 km (5.5 mi). The United States Geological Survey reported a magnitude of 6.0 Mw and a depth of 9 km (5.6 mi).

The 2014 Eketāhuna earthquake struck at 3:52 pm on 20 January, centred 15 km east of Eketāhuna in the south-east of New Zealand's North Island. It had a maximum perceived intensity of VII on the Mercalli intensity scale. Originally reported as magnitude 6.6 on the Richter Scale, the earthquake was later downgraded to a magnitude of 6.2. A total of 1112 aftershocks were recorded, ranging between magnitudes 2.0 and 4.9 on the Richter Scale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1968 Inangahua earthquake</span> Earthquake in New Zealand

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hikurangi Margin</span> Subduction zone off the east coast of New Zealands North Island

The Hikurangi Margin is New Zealand's largest subduction zone and fault.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1947 Gisborne earthquakes and tsunami</span> Earthquakes in New Zealand

The 1947 Gisborne earthquakes and tsunami occurred east of Gisborne and offshore from New Zealand's North Island. Both the two earthquakes are estimated to have measured at most 7.1 on the moment magnitude scale.

The 1904 Cape Turnagain earthquake struck 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) north of Cape Turnagain on the morning of 9 August with a magnitude estimated at 6.8 Ms and 7.0–7.2 Mw. It was felt throughout the North Island and upper South Island, with many communities within a 500 kilometres (310 mi) radius reporting noticeable ground shaking. Heavy damage occurred to the landscape and personal property and one man died. It was the largest to strike New Zealand since the 7.0 Mw  North Canterbury earthquake in 1888.

The 2003 Fiordland earthquake struck the remote region of Fiordland in the South Island of New Zealand on 22 August 2003, at 12:12 am NZST. The epicentre was 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) deep, and was thought to be near Secretary Island at the entrance to Doubtful Sound. At 7.2 Ms  magnitude, it was one of the largest quakes in the country for some time, and was the largest shallow quake since the 1968 Inangahua earthquake. There was an aftershock two hours later at 2:12 am, followed over several days by frequent small tremors; two months after the earthquake, there had been 8,000 aftershocks.

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References

  1. 1 2 Nicol, A.; Van Dissen, R.J.; Stirling, M.W.; Gerstenberger, M.C. (2017). Quantifying the incompleteness of New Zealand's prehistoric earthquake record (PDF) (Report). Vol. EQC project 14/668 Final Report. p. 9. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  2. "GeoNet – Quakes". Geonet.org.nz. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  3. GNS Science. "Where were NZs largest earthquakes? / New Zealand Earthquakes / Earthquakes / Science Topics / Learning / Home – GNS Science". Gns.cri.nz. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Wild Land". Wildland.owdjim.gen.nz. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  5. "Earthquakes, Seismic Waves, Floods and Droughts". Nzetc.victoria.ac.nz. Retrieved 12 January 2015.