The Strangeness of Earthquakes

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A concrete block wall with a large diagonal crack running through it. The photographer comments, "This wall has fascinated me. It has cracked across in a dead straight diagonal line during one of Christchurch's many earthquakes. How could this have occurred?".

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Images, UC QuakeStudies

An aerial photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Avondale Park, with Woolley Street diagonally".

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Images, UC QuakeStudies

Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Madras Street and Barbadoes Street. High Street and Ferry Road running diagonally".

Bettina Evans's photograph 7

Images, UC QuakeStudies

Diagonal cracking between the windows of the Harbour Light Theatre in Lyttelton. This indicates that there was no vertical reinforcement provided in the walls.

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Images, UC QuakeStudies

Damage to the Kenton Chambers building. Diagonal cracking between the windows shows that the building has suffered major structural damage.

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Images, UC QuakeStudies

Damage to the Kenton Chambers building. Diagonal cracking between the windows shows that the building has suffered major structural damage.

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Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Knox Church showing the diagonal cracking in the brick work by the front door".

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Images, UC QuakeStudies

Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Looking south down Manchester Street, with Lichfield Street at the bottom and High Street diagonally".

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Images, UC QuakeStudies

Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Looking south down Manchester Street, with Lichfield Street at the bottom and High Street diagonally".

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Images, UC QuakeStudies

Crumbled wall above the window of a brick house on Centaurus Road. Cracks can also be seen diagonally between the bricks.

Canterbury Earthquake September 2010 - Photograph 35

Images, UC QuakeStudies

Damage to a house in Richmond. A large crack runs diagonally through a brick wall. The photographer comments, "More cracked brickwork".

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Images, UC QuakeStudies

Damage to a building on Manchester Street. The large diagonal cracks between the windows indicate the building has suffered serious structural damage.

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Images, UC QuakeStudies

An aerial photograph looking north-west over the central city with Phillipstown in the lower corner and Fitzgerald Avenue running diagonally in the upper left.

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Images, UC QuakeStudies

Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Looking east towards the settling ponds and the estuary. Linwood Avenue running diagonally from bottom left to top right".

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Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of a walkway between two buildings of St Paul's School. A diagonal crack can be seen running between the bricks in one wall.

Canterbury Earthquake September 2010 - Photograph 01

Images, UC QuakeStudies

Internal damage to a house in Richmond. A crack runs diagonally upwards from the corner of a doorway. Below, a picture is askew. The photographer comments, "Small cracks in the kitchen wall".

Bettina Evans's photograph 2

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A house on Canterbury Street in Lyttelton with a damaged outer wall. The bricks have fallen away to expose the insulation. Cracks can be seen running diagonally along the remaining wall. Fencing and tape have been placed around the building to warn people off.

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Images, UC QuakeStudies

An aerial photograph of Worcester Street near Latimer Square. The photograph was captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Worcester Street runs diagonally up the photograph from the bottom left to the top right".

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Images, UC QuakeStudies

Structural damage to St Elmo Courts with diagonal cracks between the windows of the building. These cracks show that there has been rocking of the masonry piers which means there is no vertical reinforcement provided in the walls.

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Images, UC QuakeStudies

Detail of the side of the front wall of St Mary & St Athanaslos church on Edgeware Road, right side. Cracks can be seen running diagonally between the bricks. The top of the wall has crumbled onto the pavement below.

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Images, UC QuakeStudies

St Elmo Courts, a NZHPT heritage building on the corner of Hereford and Montreal Streets. The building was severely damaged during the 4 September earthquake, with diagonal cracking between the windows. Scaffolding has been placed around the bottom of the building.

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Images, UC QuakeStudies

Detail of the side of the front wall of St Mary & St Athanaslos church on Edgeware Road. The edge of the wall has separated from the bricks and is threatening to topple. Cracks can be seen running diagonally through the brick wall, the rest of the wall missing above.

Cracks in the Veneer

Images, UC QuakeStudies

Large cracks run through the brick cladding of this house in Wainoni. The photographer comments, "During the numerous earthquakes in Christchurch the land which ran alongside the Avon river on Avonside Drive slumped towards the waterway. Houses which were wooden framed and had an external brick veneer started to sink into the liquefied soil. This caused the brick walls to crack, but the houses' occupants though shook up were saved by the wooden framework from the houses collapsing on them".

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Images, UC QuakeStudies

An aerial photograph of the Christchurch central city. The photograph has been captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "The central city, with the Majestic Theatre in the centre of the photograph. Lichfield Street runs from bottom left diagonally up the photograph to the top right. The City Council building is prominent in the bottom left corner and Latimer Square in the top left corner".