The Alpine Fault is a geological fault that runs almost the entire length of New Zealand's South Island and forms the boundary between the Pacific Plate and the Indo-Australian Plate. The epicentre was approximately 35 kilometres (22 mi) west of Hanmer. Growth slowed from the 1930s. It … Wairarapa (magnitude 8.2): This is the most powerful recorded earthquake in New Zealand and resulted from movement at least 140 kilometres along the Wairarapa Fault, on the eastern edge of the Rimutaka Range. It is a dextral strike-slip fault with a component of uplift to the northwest as expressed by the Rimutaka Range. The rupture area for the 2005 Nias–Simeulue earthquake is similar to that estimated for the 1861 event. The violent shake was felt as far away as Canterbury. Wai 23/01/1855 8.2 9 5 1855 Wairarapa earthquake. Deaths from earthquakes includes direct deaths from the event plus those from secondary impacts (such as a tsunami triggered by an earthquake). The uplift of the northwestern side of Wellington Harbour rendered many of the jetties in the harbour unusable, although this new area of land provided a new rail and road route to the north. The evening of 23 January 1855 was the end of a two-day holiday, the 15th anniversary of Wellington’s founding. The 1855 Wairarapa earthquake occurred on 23 January at about 9 p.m., affecting much of the Cook Strait area of New Zealand, including Marlborough in the South Island and Wellington and Wairarapa in the North Island. ↑ "GeoNet – Quakes". The earthquake caused extensive damage to buildings, and a 36-hour fire in central Napier which gutted almost 11 blocks. Land was reclaimed to form what is now the central city. 23 January: The 1855 Wairarapa earthquake causes extensive damage but few deaths. 1855 The first bridge over the Mississippi River opens in what is now Minneapolis, a … 24 June 1942. "Historic earthquakes – The 1855 Wairarapa earthquake". In 1855 an earthquake (The "1855 Wairarapa earthquake") struck the area, raising the coastline and creating flat land for settlement in and around the harbour. Although the later Murchison and Napier earthquakes claimed more lives, neither created the geological upheaval wrought by the Wairarapa earthquake of 1855." Mouslopoulou, V., Nicol, A., Little, T.A. Cause: Earthquake in Wairarapa; The 9:32pm, 23 January 1855 M 8.2 Wairarapa earthquake generated New Zealand’s largest historical locally-generated tsunami. The agricultural industries, including forestry, cropping, sheep, beef and dairy farming, are major land users. Significant uplift also occurred in Wellington City, most … There was one death in Wellington, on 24 June. They include the Wairarapa Fault and Wellington Fault to the southwest, the Ruahine and Mohaka Faults in the central section and the Waimana, Waiotahi, Whakatane and Waiohau Faults to the northeast. ", National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Charles Lyell and the 1855 Wairarapa earthquake in New Zealand: Recognition of fault rupture accompanying an earthquake, Terminations of large strike-slip faults: an alternative model from New Zealand, Hope Fault, Jordan Thrust, and uplift of the Seaward Kaikoura Range, New Zealand, "World's largest coseismic strike-slip offset: The 1855 rupture of the Wairarapa Fault, New Zealand, and implications for displacement/length scaling of continental earthquakes", "Massive earthquake hits southern North Island", "Historic earthquakes – The 1855 Wairarapa earthquake", Canterbury Earthquake Response and Recovery Act 2010, Lyttelton Road Tunnel Administration Building, Canterbury Earthquake Commemoration Day Act 2011. Much of modern Wellington's central business district is formed from land raised from the harbour by the event, as shown by the series of "Shoreline 1840" plaques. January 27 – The Panama Railway becomes the first railroad to connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Retrieved 3 September 2016. In the Wairarapa, several Māori (their reported number varies from two to six), were killed when a wharecollapsed. Daytime earthquakes were more deadly than nighttime earthquakes, and mortality rates … Casualties. Now covered in vegetation, the slip is distinguished by its slope, which is shallower than the surrounding hills. The 1855 Wairarapa earthquake and tsunami leaves nine dead in New Zealand. 23 January 1855. 1855 Wairarapa New Zealand; Date: January 23, 1855 () Magnitude: 8.2: Depth: 33 km: Epicenter location: Wairarapa North Island: Countries or regions affected: New Zealand: Casualties: 5-9 deaths The 1855 Wairarapa earthquakeoccurred on 23 January at about 9 p.m., affecting much of the Cook Straitarea of New Zealand, including Marlboroughin the South Islandand Wellingtonand Wairarapain the North Island. Significant uplift also occurred in Wellington City, most noticeably around Wellington Harbour, altering the city's shoreline considerably. The region had already experienced several large earthquakes, the very large 1855 Wairarapa Earthquake, and the 1934 Pahiatua earthquake in the Northern Wairarapa.. Due to data availability, reporting and evidence, it's expected that more recent data will be more complete than the long historical record. The raised platforms at Turakirae head mark old shorelines (visible as pale bands). ↑ "GeoNet – Quakes". The North Island Fault System or North Island Dextral Fault Belt is a set of southwest–northeast trending seismically-active faults in the North Island of New Zealand that carry most of the dextral strike-slip component of the oblique convergence of the Pacific Plate with the Australian Plate. In Wellington, close to the epicenter, shaking lasted for at least 50 seconds. Akl 23 Jun 1891 5.5- 6.0 Waikato Heads earthquake caused MM5-6 shaking in Auckland Cant 16/11/1901 6.8 1 Quetzaltenango, Guatemala 1902 Guatemala earthquake struck on April 18, 1902 at 20:23:50 hrs. The 1843 Whanganui earthquake occurred on 8 July at 16:45 local time with an estimated magnitude of 7.5 on the Mw scale. Site Quicklinks Culture & Society. The 1934 Pahiatua earthquake struck at 11:46 pm on 5 March, causing severe damage in much of the lower North Island. Many Wellington buildings were damaged, slips occurred in the Hutt Valley and a tsunami in the Cook Strait and Wellington Harbour flooded buildings near the shoreline. A total of 1112 aftershocks were recorded, ranging between magnitudes 2.0 and 4.9 on the Richter Scale. The June 2011 Christchurch earthquake was a shallow magnitude 6.0 Mw earthquake that occurred on 13 June 2011 at 14:20 NZST. The earthquake of January 23 1855 is New Zealand's largest earthquake since organised European settlement. The 1855 Wairarapa earthquake had an estimated magnitude of 8.2 on the Richter scale, making it the largest recorded earthquake in New Zealand. Some small shakes were recorded in the region but it was not until 1904 that another moderately large earthquake occurred. 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. On 23 Jan 1855 a magnitude 8.2 earthquake struck here, killing between 5-9 people in the Wairarapa and Wellington. New Zealand lies along the boundary between the Australian and Pacific Plates. Retrieved 26 December 2011. [Gold, Charles Emilius 1809-1871. [6]. The 1855 Wairarapa earthquake and tsunami leaves nine dead in New Zealand. The earthquake triggered extensive landsliding on both faces of the Rimutaka Ranges, along the Kaikoura coast and in Wellington, where access to Petone was cut off when a large landslide containing ~300,000 m3 of material cascaded down to block the coastal track north. 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). 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. Most of the fault system consists of dextral strike-slip faults, although towards its northeastern end the trend swings to more S-N trend and the faults become mainly oblique normal in sense as the zone intersects with the Taupo rift zone. Researchers study the effects of the 1855 Wairarapa Earthquake to find clues about what may happen next time. ↑ "Where were New Zealand's largest earthquakes?". At 9:11pm, on 23 January 1855, the southern part of the North Island was struck by a magnitude 8.2 earthquake, the most powerful ever recorded in New Zealand. The largest recorded earthquake to have hit New Zealand rocked Wellington and the Wairarapa at 9:11pm, on 23 January 1855. Read more. 7–9 deaths The 1855 Wairarapa earthquake occurred on 23 January at about 9 p.m., affecting much of the Cook Strait area of New Zealand , including Marlborough in the South Island and Wellington and Wairarapa in the North Island . Story: Historic earthquakes — Te Ara "In Māori tradition Rūaumoko, god of earthquakes, caused rumblings and shaking as he walked about, and European arrivals soon experienced the frightening power of the land they hoped to settle. Between 7 and 9 people were killed in the earthquake, and 5 others sustained injuries that required hospitalisation. 7–9 deaths. Earthquake resistant rebuilding lessened the amount of damage and casualties during the Wairarapa earthquake (8.3) that would hit the same area in 1855. Minor damage was recorded in places as far away as Lyttelton and Christchurch. The quake, estimated at magnitude 8.2, raises parts of the Wellington harbour foreshore by as much as 6 … [4] The earthquake occurred on the Wairarapa Fault which is part of the NIFS. Damage to at least 95 unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings resulted in 272 deaths, and damage to five reinforced concrete (RC) buildings resulted in 145 deaths. Tremors continued almost continuously until midnight and sporadic strong aftershocks were felt for several days. Wairarapa settlers were always alert to the dangers of earthquake. The Hope Fault is an active dextral strike-slip fault in the northeastern part of South Island, New Zealand. [Denton, Frank J, 1869-1963. Two people died in a fissure in the Manawatū. Magnitude: 7.5 Death Toll: N/A Shaking continued for two minutes in Wellington and caused massive widespread damage. 1863 HMS Orpheus shipwreck It remained the single largest earthquake to strike Hawke's Bay until 1931, where a magnitude 7.8 quake leveled much of Napier and Hastings and killed 256 people. 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. Archived from the original on 16 July 2014. It forms part of the Marlborough Fault System, which accommodates the transfer of displacement along the oblique convergent boundary between the Indo-Australian Plate and Pacific Plate, from the transform Alpine Fault to the Hikurangi Trench subduction zone. The earthquake was followed by many aftershocks, some of which were very damaging. The Wairarapa Fault is an active seismic fault in the southern part of the North Island of New Zealand. The 1855 Wairarapa earthquake . ↑ "Earthquakes". Newcastle earthquake. Retrieved 26 December 2011. Felt over 200,000 km2 . Retrieved 3 September 2016. The 1976 Tangshan earthquake, with death toll estimated to be between 240,000 to 655,000, is believed to be the largest earthquake of the 20th century by death toll. [2]. Wairarapa earthquake earthquake Earthquake of 1855 The 1848 earthquake, centred in Marlborough, caused great damage to the brick and masonry buildings in Wellington, and the city was rebuilt mainly in wood; consequently it suffered comparatively little damage in the 8.2 magnitude earthquake of 1855, which lifted the land 2–3m. Ref #: 1/2-003924-G Collection of negatives, prints and albums PAColl-3043], Landslip caused by earthquake near Wellington, New Zealand. Apr 19, 1902. Retrieved 22 November 2016. This fault zone accommodates up to 10 mm/yr of strike-slip displacement. Earthquake resistant rebuilding lessened the amount of damage and casualties during the Wairarapa earthquake (8.3) that would hit the same area in 1855. This earthquake was the second major earthquake that Wellington settlers had experienced. The Awatere Fault is an active dextral strike-slip fault in the northeastern part of South Island, New Zealand. It seeks to understand which faults are responsible for seismic activity in an area by analysing a combination of regional tectonics, recent instrumentally recorded events, accounts of historical earthquakes and geomorphological evidence. The 2010 Glendale earthquake … In 1855 a magnitude 8.2 earthquake – the most powerful ever recorded in New Zealand – rocked the southern part of the North Island. Today, Wellington's Basin Reserve sports ground sits on land lifted by this earthquake; the area had previously been part of a waterway that led into the harbour. Deaths occurred during aftershock. Find out more on Te Ara. The ground level at Pauatahanui, Lowry Bay, and to the east of Lake Wairarapa was also raised, but it is possible that this was caused by material being deposited, rather than tectonic uplift. Damage to at least 95 unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings resulted in 272 deaths, and damage to five reinforced concrete (RC) buildings resulted in 145 deaths. Archived from the original on 16 July 2014. Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. The 1848 Marlborough earthquake was caused by rupture of the whole of the eastern section of the Awatere Fault. Intensity of the earthquake. Intensity of the earthquake. The Wairau Fault is an active dextral strike-slip fault in the northeastern part of South Island, New Zealand. Caused by movement along a fault in Palliser Bay, it altered the landscape of the Wellington region and affected its subsequent urban development. Despite the violence of the 1855 earthquake (with an estimated strength of 8.0-8.2 on the Richter scale), there were few fatalities. Due to its size, it had a considerable impact on the geography of the region. There have been a few subsequent earthquakes of just under magnitude 8 including the Hawke’s Bay earthquake of magnitude 7.8; there were 258 fatalities. The quake, estimated at magnitude 8.2, raises parts of the Wellington harbour foreshore by as much as 6 metres. Although the later Murchison and Napier earthquakes claimed more lives, neither created the geological upheaval wrought by the Wairarapa earthquake of 1855." GeoNet content is copyright GNS Science and is The Marlborough Fault System is a set of four large dextral strike-slip faults and other related structures in the northern part of South Island, New Zealand, which transfer displacement between the mainly transform plate boundary of the Alpine fault and the mainly destructive boundary of the Kermadec Trench, and together form the boundary between the Australian and Pacific Plates. Intensity of the earthquake. 1855 Wairarapa earthquake On 23 January a magnitude 8.2 earthquake struck the lower North Island. Originally reported as magnitude 6.6 on the Richter Scale, the earthquake was later downgraded to a magnitude of 6.2. However, most of the motion on the fault is strike-slip, with the Tasman district and West Coast moving North and Canterbury and Otago moving South. [1] (Maori elders said there was no record in their traditions of an earlier shock which was as great.) GNS Science. Earthquake-related deaths were caused by building damage (431 deaths, 88%), ground damage (34 deaths, 7%), or other causes (24 deaths, 5%). January 26 – The Point No Point Treaty is signed in the Washington Territory. The shaking also created numerous slump cracks in flat areas of Wellington, the Hutt Valley, Wairarapa, and in the Manawatu district. Daytime earthquakes were more deadly than nighttime earthquakes, and mortality rates … Ref #: B-103-016], The large landslide shown in C. E. Gold’s painting is still visible on the Hutt Road today. A horizontal displacement of up to 18 metres (59 ft) was accompanied by uplift and tilting of the Rimutaka Range on the northwestern side of the fault with vertical offsets of about 6 metres near the fault reducing to almost nothing on the western coast of the Wellington Peninsula. GeoNet is a collaboration between the Earthquake The sparsely settled region of the Southern Alps shook for four minutes. The first shoreline inland from the present day coast is where the shoreline was in 1855, before the area was uplifted by the Wairarapa earthquake. Its epicenter was near Cañete, Chile. He is pardoned the following year. Intensity of the earthquake. Economy Edit. The magnitude 8 Wairarapa, New Zealand, earthquake of 1855 was associated with surface rupture along the Wairarapa fault and regional uplift of the southwest of the North Island. Casualties. January 26 – The Point No Point Treaty is signed in the Washington Territory . In 1855 a magnitude 8.2 earthquake – the most powerful ever recorded in New Zealand – rocked the southern part of the North Island. The Southern Alps have been uplifted on the fault over the last 12 million years in a series of earthquakes. Story: Historic earthquakes — Te Ara "In Māori tradition Rūaumoko, god of earthquakes, caused rumblings and shaking as he walked about, and European arrivals soon experienced the frightening power of the land they hoped to settle. Attribution 3.0 New Zealand License, Earthquake The documents examined include contemporary diaries, letters and journals, newspaper reports and articles, archives, memoranda and reports of the Wellington Provincial Government as well as later reminiscences, extracts from … The earthquake originated on the Wairarapa Fault and caused extensive faulting and uplift in epicentral areas. The shock was felt across almost the whole country, and was highly destructive in Wellington (MM 10), and severely damaging in Whanganui and Kaikoura. In Wellington, close to the epicenter, shaking lasted for at least 50 seconds. The earthquake originated on the Wairarapa Fault and caused extensive faulting and uplift in epicentral areas. For example, between five and ten people were reported to have been killed in the 1855 Wairarapa earthquake in four separate incidents (Grapes and Downes, 1997). 23 January: The 1855 Wairarapa earthquake causes extensive damage but few deaths. The first large earthquake that they had felt had taken place on 16 October 1… It caused a devastating tsunami which led to several thousand fatalities. Wai 23/01/1855 8.2 9 5 1855 Wairarapa earthquake. 7–9 deaths. The 1855 Wairarapa Earthquake Symposium — Proceedings Volume Published by Greater Wellington Regional Council Greater Wellington Publication Number: GW/RINV-T-05/205 ISBN: 0-909016-87-9 September 2005 . To the west of the Tararua Ranges are the Manawatu coastal plains. [GNS Science], Lambton Quay, Wellington, looking south from Brandon's Corner 1860. January 1855. Numerous landslides were reported along the slopes of the Rimutaka Range. The 1855 Wairarapa earthquake occurred on 23 January at about 9 p.m., affecting much of the Cook Strait area of New Zealand, including Marlborough in the South Island and Wellington and Wairarapa in the North Island. In early 1855 there was an earthquake in the centre of Cook Strait, thought to be of a magnitude of about 8.1-8.2, the largest in human memory. Attribution 3.0 New Zealand License. In 1855 a magnitude 8.2 earthquake – the most powerful ever recorded in New Zealand – rocked the southern part of the North Island. "Initial results show that one of these landslides in particular occurred recently, and may have been caused by the magnitude 8.2 Wairarapa earthquake in 1855." Cause: Earthquake in Wairarapa; The 9:32pm, 23 January 1855 M 8.2 Wairarapa earthquake generated New Zealand’s largest historical locally-generated tsunami. Deaths occurred during aftershock. Commission, Creative Commons The region had already experienced several large earthquakes, the very large 1855 Wairarapa Earthquake, and the 1934 Pahiatua earthquake in the Northern Wairarapa. The 1855 Wairarapa earthquake . On 23 January 1855 the region was hit by the strongest earthquake recorded in New Zealand, which reached Magnitude 8.1 on the Richter Scale. It … 1855 The first bridge over the Mississippi River opens in what is now Minneapolis, a … It forms part of the Marlborough Fault System, which accommodates the transfer of displacement along the oblique convergent boundary between the Indo-Australian Plate and Pacific Plate, from the transform Alpine Fault to the Hikurangi Trench subduction zone. [8] [9], The earthquake generated New Zealand's largest historical locally generated tsunami, with a maximum run-up of 10–11 m (33–36 ft). [7] Reports identify at least another four people (possibly as many as eight) as having died in the surrounding countryside during the earthquake. [GNS Science]. The Wellington Region of New Zealand has a foundation of Torlesse Greywacke rocks, that make up the Tararua and Rimutaka Ranges, that go from Wellington in the south to the Manawatu Gorge, where they are renamed as the Ruahine Ranges, and continue further north-northeast, towards East Cape. Four people were killed and the landscape of the Wellington region was changed significantly. The 8.2–8.3 M w Wairarapa earthquake claims between five and nine lives near the Cook Strait area of New Zealand. Under this name, it continues until 1861. Between 7 and 9 people were killed in the earthquake, and 5 others sustained injuries that required hospitalisation. Mount Tarawera eruption Happened in 1886 - 120 people died 1896. The estimated magnitude of about 8.2 is unusually large for an earthquake associated with movement on a mainly strike-slip fault, and the coseismic offset would have been the largest known for such an event. Wairarapa earthquake, 1855. The quake, estimated at magnitude 8.2, raises parts of the Wellington harbour foreshore by as much as 6 metres. One … The earthquake was felt as far away as the Malay peninsula and the eastern part of Java. Earthquake-related deaths were caused by building damage (431 deaths, 88%), ground damage (34 deaths, 7%), or other causes (24 deaths, 5%). Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. A trend in reported estimates therefore doesn't necessarily reflect the true change over time. NT 11/12/2012 7.1 Banda Sea earthquake, felt in Darwin New Zealand MBo 16/10/1848 7.8 3 1848 Marlborough earthquake on dextral Awatere Fault. It was centred in the Wairarapa, but once again it was Wellington that experienced the most damage. [3] A group of dextral strike-slip structures, known as the Marlborough Fault System, transfer displacement between the mainly transform and convergent type plate boundaries in a complex zone at the northern end of the South Island. 23 January 1855. In 1855 a magnitude 8.2 earthquake – the most powerful ever recorded in New Zealand – rocked the southern part of the North Island. January 27 – The Panama Railway becomes the first railroad to connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. [3] April: James McKenzie is found guilty of stealing 1000 sheep and sentenced to five years hard labour in Lyttelton. Damage to at least 95 unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings resulted in 272 deaths, and damage to five reinforced concrete (RC) buildings resulted in 145 deaths. It forms part of the Marlborough Fault System, which accommodates the transfer of displacement along the oblique convergent boundary between the Indo-Australian Plate and Pacific Plate, from the transform Alpine Fault to the Hikurangi Trench subduction zone. In Wellington, close to the epicenter, shaking lasted for at least 50 seconds. 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. Caused by movement along a fault in Palliser Bay, it altered the landscape of the Wellington region and affected its subsequent urban development. This was the first earthquake in New Zealand over magnitude 7 for which written records exist, and the first for which deaths were recorded. In 1855 an earthquake (The "1855 Wairarapa earthquake") struck the area, raising the coastline and creating flat land for settlement in and around the harbour. It has been suggested that the surface rupture formed by this event helped influence Charles Lyell to link earthquakes with rapid movement on faults. The United States Geological Survey reported a magnitude of 6.0 Mw and a depth of 9 km (5.6 mi). The average slip rates in the fault's central region are about 38mm a year, very fast by global standards. The 1848 Marlborough earthquake was a 7.5 earthquake that occurred at 1:40 a.m. on 16 October 1848 and whose epicenter was in the Marlborough region of the South Island of New Zealand. Is part of South Island, New Zealand – rocked the southern part of the lower North Island 1855 wairarapa earthquake deaths in... Contempo­Rary accounts put these at 10, compared to 17 in the northeastern of. Geonet is a collaboration between the earthquake was later downgraded to a 8.2... 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