Text top left reads 'A tale of two quakes' In the first frame a man runs from 'radiation leaks' yelling 'The end of the world!' and in the second frame a man runs from the notion 'No World Cup?' yelling 'The end of the world!' Context - the terrible earthquake and tsunami in Japan 11 March 2011 that have led to the overheating of several nuclear power plants that are leaking radiation and threaten a nuclear catastrophe and the Christchurch earthquakes of 4 September 2010 and 22 February 2011 that have led to the decision that because of the amount of damage to the venue plus infrastructures and accommodation for visitors the Rugby World Cup will not be played in Christchurch. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
A man representing New Zealand reads a newspaper whose headline is ''Quake may cost insurance co's up to $16B'. Above him is an enormous mosquito that represents 'increased premiums' and that is about to suck the blood out of him; it casts a huge menacing shadow in which the man stands. Context - Insurance companies have experienced massive losses after the Canterbury earthquake. This may ultimately result in higher premiums as insurance companies try to recoup from their loss. According to Chris Ryan, Insurance Council chief executive, "The quake would probably result in foreign reinsurance companies increasing the premiums they charged local insurers." (Stuff 9 Sep 2010) Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
Text across the top of the cartoon reads 'You know you live in Christchurch when...' Six cameos follow reading 'You can stir a cup of coffee without a spoon' - a cup of coffee is shaken; 'after 30 years you finally know your neighbours' - a group of people get to know one another; 'the latest fitness craze is sandba' - a couple shovel a heap of liquefaction to music from their transistor; 'everyone gets to drive a slalom' - someone weaves along a road avoiding cracks and mud in their car; 'there's a craze in "unique garden features"' - a longdrop has been dug in the garden; and lastly 'you have tea under a doorframe' - a couple eats and drinks under a doorframe for safety. Context - the Christchurch earthquake of 22 February 2011. Published in The Press Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
In a series of five out of six caricatures Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker shows photographs of himself helping people hurt by the 4th September earthquake and helping Christchurch after the earthquake. In the sixth caricature he disingenuously smirks and says that he has been so busy helping Christchurch that he forgot about the Mayoral election; he then affects a philosophical stance about his chances. Refers to the advantage that the earthquake of 4th September has given the incumbent mayor Bob Parker in the local body elections of 9th October. Black and white and colour versions of this cartoon are available Quantity: 2 digital cartoon(s).
As a man stands up to his knees in liquefaction as Christchurch rocks in another aftershock he reads a newspaper which has one headline reading 'More severe aftershocks in Christchurch' and a second headline that reads 'I have an unshakeable belief in New Zealanders says next Gov. Gen.'. Context - Two earthquakes and hundreds of aftershocks have hit Christchurch, the first on 4 September 2010 and a second more devastating one on 22 February 2011. The new Governor General is Lieutenant General Jerry Mateparae; he takes over the role from incumbent Sir Anand Satyanand in August 2011. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
Astrologer Ken Ring sits at his desk in his study surrounded by ancient scrolls and alchemical instruments; three people stand nearby awaiting advice. Ken Ring says 'Well, predicting a once-in-a-million year movement of tectonic plates is one thing... but predicting when officials will understand the plight of companies affected by it...' Context - Business people in Christchurch in the weeks following the earthquake are becoming increasingly frustrated at their inability to gain access to premises that have been made out of bounds because of potential danger. This has resulted in protests in which police physically intervened when several protesters went inside the cordon. Colour and black and white versions of this cartoon are available Quantity: 2 digital cartoon(s).
ACT leader Rodney Hide stands alone in the middle of a blasted plain that was once the 'Christchurch CBD' and says 'A level playing field, excellent. Now we can leave the rest to the market'. Context - Christchurch after the earthquakes of 4 September 2010 and 22 February 2011. ACT explicitly promotes a free market philosophy - a (literal) level playing field in the Christchurch CBD sounds like an excellent opportunity to test the powers of the free market. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
Unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings have repeatedly been shown to perform poorly in large magnitude earthquakes, with both New Zealand and Australia having a history of past earthquakes that have resulted in fatalities due to collapsed URM buildings. A comparison is presented here of the URM building stock and the seismic vulnerability of Christchurch and Adelaide in order to demonstrate the relevance to Australian cities of observations in Christchurch resulting from the 2010/2011 Canterbury earthquake swarm. It is shown that the materials, architecture and hence earthquake strength of URM buildings in both countries is comparable and that Adelaide and other cities of Australia have seismic vulnerability sufficient to cause major damage to their URM buildings should a design level earthquake occur. Such an earthquake is expected to cause major building damage, and fatalities should be expected.
Text reads 'What??... Is it another quake?.. No, it's just Gerry Brownlee rushing the CERA bill through'. The cartoon shows the huge back of Minister for Christchurch Recovery Gerry Brownlee moving energetically and forcefully to get the CERA bill past its third reading. Context - The bill establishes the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (Cera) and empowers it to lead reconstruction efforts in Christchurch. It gives Cera specific powers to get information from any source, to requisition and build on land and to carry out demolitions. It can also take over local authorities if they are not working effectively on recovery work. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
A play on rhyming words 'whacked' for terrorist Osama bin Laden who has been killed in a Pakistan village, 'hacked' for 'Sony' after massive hack attacks on three separate gaming systems it runs, 's'ACT' with Rodney Hide who has been ousted as ACT leader by former National leader Don Brash, 'wracked' for Christchurch because of the earthquakes, 'blacked' to describe a $5 bottle of milk, 'smacked' for Glenfield, hit by a tornado, 'jacked' for petrol prices and 'quacked' for a duck in the duck-shooting season. Colour and black and white versions available Quantity: 2 digital cartoon(s).
Text below the image reads 'More silence?..' Prime Minister John Key and the Governor General Sir Anand Satyanand and several 'hangers-on' almost suffer coronaries when an official suggests in discussions about 'cost-saving ideas' that 'One of the National Projects we could "reprioritise" in the wake of the earthquake is to axe any Kiwi VIP attendance at the royal wedding'. Context - The PM and Governor General are thought to be on the list for invitations to the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton but after the catastrophic Christchurch earthquake of 22 February 2011, which is going to cost the country billions, a wag wonders whether they should go. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
In the first frame an excited rugby player runs across a rugby field wearing a shirt with the words 'Rugby Cup venues' printed on it and carrying a ball that represents 'extra games'. In the second frame a huge arm that represents 'extra costs' smashes into the player. Context - Christchurch cannot host the five games allocated to it. Auckland Council has agreed to pick up the $2.9 million tab it will cost to host three additional Rugby World Cup games. The government supports claims that the three bonus games could boost spending in Auckland by at least $28 million. (Stuff 31 March 2011) Colour and black and white versions of this cartoon are available Quantity: 2 digital cartoon(s).
Text at top left reads 'Don't forget rubbish day' The cartoon is a large wheelie bin stacked high with debris from 'old dunger buildings'. Someone in a damaged house nearby says 'Good riddance!' Context - Two earthquakes and hundreds of aftershocks have hit Christchurch, the first on 4 September 2010 and a second more devastating one on 22 February 2011. Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee may or may not have actually used the words 'old dungers' to describe some of Christchurch's heritage buildings that are not worth keeping but he might as well have done because many people believe that this is the way he thinks. Debate about which heritage buildings should be kept and which demolished has begun along with debate about how the city should be rebuilt. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
Shows Minister for Christchurch Earthquake Recovery Gerry Brownlee delighted with his plan to rebuild Christchurch and to have it paid for buy the PM's casino. Context: Refers to the Christchurch Central Development Unit that Minister for Christchurch Earthquake Recovery Gerry Brownlee has put in place. Refers also to the very controversial deal that Prime Minister John Key has made with Auckland's SkyCity to the effect that SkyCity will pay the full construction cost of a new convention centre - estimated at $350 million, in return for being allowed to add more gaming tables and machines, and extending its licence beyond 2021. Colour and black and white versions of this cartoon are available Quantity: 2 digital cartoon(s).
The susceptibility of precast hollow-core floors to sustain critical damage during an earthquake is now well-recognized throughout the structural engineering community in New Zealand. The lack of shear reinforcement in these floor units is one of the primary reasons causing issues with the seismic performance of these floors. Recent research has revealed that the unreinforced webs of these floor units can crack at drift demands as low as 0.6%. Such observation indicates that potentially many of the existing building stock incorporating hollow-core flooring systems in cities of relatively high seismic activity (e.g. Wellington and Christchurch) that probably have already experienced a level of shaking higher than 0.6% drift in previous earthquakes might already have their floor units cracked. However, there is little information available to reliably quantify the residual gravity load-carrying capacity of cracked hollow-core floor units, highlighting the need to understand the post-cracking behavior of hollow-core floor units to better quantify the extent of the risk that cracked hollow-core floor units pose.
This participant-observation study explores the process of gathering and evaluating both financial and non-financial information and communication and transfer of that information within a medium-sized electrical service company in Christchurch, New Zealand. The previous literature has established the importance and the main characteristics of small and medium enterprises, mainly studying manufacturing companies. However, there has been little research done in New Zealand on the overall communication process and the financial and non-financial information usage in a small-medium enterprise. The Electrical Company has a flat structure which allows flexibility. The two owners understand the importance of financial management and use financial information extensively to ensure the business expenses are under control. The owners also gather and use non-financial information through talking to their accountant, their customers and people in the same industry and they keenly follow the news on the rebuilding of Christchurch after the recent earthquakes.
During the 2010 - 2011 Canterbury earthquake sequence, extensive liquefaction was observed in many areas of Christchurch city and its surroundings, causing widespread damage to buildings and infrastructure. While existing simplified methods were found to work well in some areas of the city, there were also large areas where these methods did not perform satisfactorily. In some of these cases, researchers have proposed that layers of fine grained material within the soil profile may be responsible for preventing the manifestation of liquefaction. This paper presents preliminary findings on the mechanisms at play when pressure differentials exist across a clay layer. It is found that if the clay layer is unable to distort, then pore fluid is unable to break-through the layer even with relatively high pressures, resulting in dissipation of excess pore pressures by seepage. If the layers are however able to distort, then it is possible for the pore fluid to break through the clay layer, potentially resulting in adverse effects in terms of the severity of liquefaction.
This paper explores the scope of small-scale radio to create an auditory geography of place. It focuses on the short term art radio project The Stadium Broadcast, which was staged in November 2014 in an earthquake-damaged sports stadium in Christchurch, New Zealand. Thousands of buildings and homes in Christchurch have been demolished since the Februrary 22, 2011 earthquake, and while Lancaster Park sports stadium is still standing, it has been unused since that date and its future remains uncertain. The Stadium Broadcast constructed a radio memorial to the Park’s 130 year history through archival recordings, the memories of local people, observation of its current state, and a performed site-specificity. The Stadium Broadcast reflected on the spatiality of radio sounds and transmissions, memory, post-disaster transitionality, and the im-permanence of place.
This paper provides a summary of the ground motions observed in the recent Canterbury, New Zealand earthquake sequence. The sequence occurred in a region of relatively moderate seismicity, 130km to the east of the Alpine Fault, the major plate-boundary in the region. From an engineering perspective, the sequence has been primarily comprised of the initial 04/09/2010 Darfield earthquake (Mw7.1) followed by the 22/02/2011 Christchurch earthquake (Mw6.3), and two aftershocks on 13/06/ 2011 (Mw5.3 and 6.0, respectively). The dense spacing of strong motions in the region, and their close proximity to the respective causative faults, has resulted in strong ground motions far exceeding the previous catalogue of strong motion observed in New Zealand. The observed ground motions have exhibited clear evidence of: (i) near-source directivity; (ii) sedimentary basin focusing, amplification and basin effect refraction; (iii) non-linear site response; (iv) cyclic mobility postliquefaction; and (v) extreme vertical ground motions exceeding 2g, among others.
The performance of conventionally designed reinforced concrete (RC) structures during the 2011 Christchurch earthquake has demonstrated that there is greater uncertainty in the seismic performance of RC components than previously understood. RC frame and wall structures in the Christchurch central business district were observed to form undesirable cracks patterns in the plastic hinge region while yield penetration either side of cracks, and into development zones, were less than theoretical predictions. The implications of this unexpected behaviour: (i) significantly less available ductility; (ii) less hysteretic energy dissipation; and (iii) the localization of peak reinforcement strains, results in considerable doubt for the residual capacity of RC structures. The significance of these consequences has prompted a review of potential sources of uncertainty in seismic experimentation with the intention to improve the current confidence level for newly designed conventional RC structures. This paper attempts to revisit the principles of RC mechanics, in particular, to consider the influence of loading history, concrete tensile strength, and reinforcement ratio on the performance of ‘real’ RC structures compared to experimental test specimens.
This paper concerns the explicit consideration of near-fault directivity in conventional ground motion prediction models, and its implication for probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA) in New Zealand. The proposed approach utilises recently developed models by Shahi & Baker (2011), which account for both the 'narrowband' nature of the directivity pulse on spectral ordinates, and the probability of pulse occurrence at the site of interest. Furthermore, in order to correctly consider directivity, distributed seismicity sources are considered as finite-faults, as opposed to their (incorrect) conventional treatment as point-sources. The significance of directivity on hazard analysis results is illustrated for various vibration periods at generic sites located in Christchurch and Otira, two locations whose seismic hazard is comprised of notably different seismic sources. When compared to the PSHA results considering directivity and distributed seismicity as finite faults, it is shown that the NZS1170.5:2004 directivity factor is notably unconservative for all vibration periods in Otira (i.e. high seismic hazard region); and unconservative for Christchurch at short-to-moderate vibration periods ( < 3s); but conservative at long periods ( > 4s).
This paper presents the preliminary findings of a study on the resilience and recovery of organisations following the Darfield earthquake in New Zealand on 4 September 2010. Sampling included organisations proximal and distal to the fault trace, organisations located within central business districts, and organisations from seven diverse industry sectors. The research captured information on the challenges to, the impacts on, and the reflections of the organisations in the first months of recovery. Organisations in central business districts and in the hospitality sector were most likely to close while organisations that had perishable stock and livestock were more heavily reliant on critical services. Staff well-being, cash flow, and customer loss were major concerns for organisations across all sectors. For all organisations, the most helpful factors in mitigating the effects of the earthquake to be their relationship with staff, the design and type of buildings, and critical service continuity or swift reinstatement of services.
The Canterbury earthquakes are unique in that the there have been a series of major earthquakes, each with their own subsequent aftershock pattern. These have extended from the first large earthquake in September 2010 to currently, at the time of writing, two years later. The last significant earthquake of over magnitude 5.0 on the Richter scale was in May on 2012, and the total number of aftershocks has exceeded 12,000. The consequences, in addition to the loss of life, significant injury and widespread damage, have been far reaching and long term, with detrimental effects and still uncertain effects for many. This provides unique challenges for individuals, communities, organisations and institutions within Canterbury. This document reviews research-based understandings of the concept of resilience. A conceptual model is developed which identifies a number of the factors that influence individual and household resilience. Guided by the model, a series of recommendations are developed for practices that will support individual and household resilience in Canterbury in the aftermath of the 2010-2011 earthquakes.
This presentation summarizes the development of high-resolution surficial soil velocity models in the Canterbury, New Zealand basin. Shallow (<30m) shear wave velocities were primarily computed based on a combination of a large database of over 15,000 cone penetration test (CPT) logs in and around Christchurch, and a recently-developed Christchurch-specific empirical correlation between soil shear wave velocity and CPT. Large active-source testing at 22 locations and ambient-wavefield surface wave and H/V testing at over 80 locations were utilized in combination with 1700 water well logs to constrain the inter-bedded stratigraphy and velocity of Quaternary sediments up to depths of several hundred meters. Finally, seismic reflection profiles and the ambient-wavefield surface wave data provide constraint on velocities from several hundred meters to several kilometres. At all depths, the high resolution data illustrates the complexity of the soil conditions in the region, and the developed 3D models are presently being used in broadband ground motion simulations to further interpret the observed strong ground motions in the 2010-2011 Canterbury earthquake sequence.
This article argues that active coordination of research engagement after disasters has the potential to maximize research opportunities, improve research quality, increase end-user engagement, and manage escalating research activity to mitigate ethical risks posed to impacted populations. The focus is on the coordination of research activity after the 22nd February 2011 Mw6.2 Christchurch earthquake by the then newly-formed national research consortium, the Natural Hazards Research Platform, which included a social science research moratorium during the declared state of national emergency. Decisions defining this organisation’s functional and structural parameters are analyzed to identify lessons concerning the need for systematic approaches to the management of post disaster research, in collaboration with the response effort. Other lessons include the importance of involving an existing, broadly-based research consortium, ensuring that this consortium's coordination role is fully integrated into emergency management structures, and ensuring that all aspects of decision-making processes are transparent and easily accessed.
Elevated levels of trace elements in the environment are of great concern because of their persistence, and their high potential to harm living organisms. The exposure of aquatic biota to trace elements can lead to bioaccumulation, and toxicity can result. Furthermore, the transfer of these elements through food chains can result in exposure to human consumers. Sea-fill or coastal fill sites are among the major anthropogenic sources of trace elements to the surrounding marine environment. For example, in the Maldives, Thilafushi Island is a sea-fill site consisting of assorted municipal solid waste, with multiple potential sources of trace elements. However, there is limited data on environmental trace element levels in the Maldives, and although seafood is harvested from close to this site, there is no existing data regarding trace element levels in Maldivian diets. Following the Christchurch earthquakes of 2011,
The earthquake sequence has resulted in significant physical and reputational damage to the Canterbury tourism industry. Eighteen months after the earthquakes inbound tourism data is still below pre-earthquake levels, with Canterbury operators reporting that the industry has not bounced back to where it was before September 2010. Outcomes of the earthquakes on business performance highlight there were winners and losers in the aftermath. Recovery of inbound tourism markets is closely tied to the timeframe to rebuild the CBD of Christchurch. Reinstating critical tourism infrastructure will drive future tourism investment, and allow tourism businesses to regenerate and thrive into the future. A blueprint for rebuilding the CBD of Christchurch was released by the Christchurch City Council in July 2012, and has been well received by tourism stakeholders in the region. The challenge now is for city officials to fund the development projects outlined in the blueprint, and to rebuild the CBD as quickly as possible in order to help regenerate the tourism industry in Christchurch, Canterbury and the rest of the South Island
Deep shear wave velocity (Vs) profiles (>400 m) were developed at 14 sites throughout Christchurch, New Zealand using surface wave methods. This paper focuses on the inversion of surface wave data collected at one of these sites, Hagley Park. This site is located on the deep soils of the Canterbury Plains, which consist of alluvial gravels inter-bedded with estuarine and marine sands, silts, clays and peats. Consequently, significant velocity contrasts exist at the interface between geologic formations. In order to develop realistic velocity models in this complex geologic environment, a-priori geotechnical and geologic data were used to identify the boundaries between geologic formations. This information aided in developing the layering for the inversion parameters. Moreover, empirical reference Vs profiles based on material type and confining pressure were used to develop realistic Vs ranges for each layer. Both the a-priori layering information and the reference Vs curves proved to be instrumental in generating realistic velocity models that account for the complex inter-bedded geology in the Canterbury Plains.
The Canterbury earthquakes and the rebuild are generation-defining events for twenty-first century Aotearoa/ New Zealand. This article uses an actor network approach to explore 32 women’s narratives of being shaken into dangerous disaster situations and reconstituting themselves to cope in socially innovative ways. The women’s stories articulate on-going collective narratives of experiencing disaster and coping with loss in ‘resilient’ ways. In these women’s experiences, coping in disasters is not achieved by talking through the emotional trauma. Instead, coping comes from seeking solace through engagement with one’s own and others’ personal risk and resourcefulness in ways that feed into the emergence of socially innovative voluntary organisations. These stories offer conceptual insight into the multivalent interconnections between resilience and vulnerabilities and the contested nature of post-disaster recovery in Aotearoa/New Zealand. These women gave voice to living through disasters resiliently in ways that forged new networks of support across collective and personal narratives and broader social goals and aspirations for Aotearoa/New Zealand’s future.
Very little research exists on total house seismic performance. This testing programme provides stiffness and response data for five houses of varying ages including contributions of non-structural elements. These light timber framed houses in Christchurch, New Zealand had minor earthquake damage from the 2011 earthquakes and were lateral load tested on site to determine their strength and stiffness, and preliminary damage thresholds. Dynamic characteristics were also investigated. Various loading schemes were utilised including quasi-static loading above the foundation, unidirectional loading through the floor diaphragm, cyclic quasi-static loading and snapback tests. Dynamic analysis on two houses provided the seismic safety levels of post-quake houses with respect to local hazard levels. Compared with New Zealand Building Standards all the tested houses had an excess of strength, damage is a significant consideration in earthquake resilience and was observed in all of the houses. A full size house laboratory test is proposed.