Modern cities are surprisingly dependent on tourism and competition among them for tourist dollars—both domestically and internationally—can be extreme. New Zealand’s second city, Christchurch, is no exception. In 2009, tourism reportedly earned $2.3 billion and accounted for more than 12 per cent of the region’s employment. Then came a series of devastating earthquakes that claimed 185 lives and decimated the city’s infrastructure. More than 10,000 earthquakes and aftershocks have radically altered Christchurch’s status as a tourism destination. Two years on, what is being done to recover from one of the world’s largest natural disasters? Can the “Garden City” reassert itself as a highly-desirable Australasian destination with a strong competitive advantage over rivals that have not been the target of natural disasters.
Geologic phenomena produced by earthquake shaking, including rockfalls and liquefaction features, provide important information on the intensity and spatiotemporal distribution of earthquake ground motions. The study of rockfall and liquefaction features produced in contemporary well- instrumented earthquakes increases our knowledge of how natural and anthropogenic environments respond to earthquakes and improves our ability to deduce seismologic information from analogous pre-contemporary (paleo-) geologic features. The study of contemporary and paleo- rockfall and liquefaction features enables improved forecasting of environmental responses to future earthquakes. In this thesis I utilize a combination of field and imagery-based mapping, trenching, stratigraphy, and numerical dating techniques to understand the nature and timing of rockfalls (and hillslope sedimentation) and liquefaction in the eastern South Island of New Zealand, and to examine the influence that anthropogenic activity has had on the geologic expressions of earthquake phenomena. At Rapaki (Banks Peninsula, NZ), field and imagery-based mapping, statistical analysis and numerical modeling was conducted on rockfall boulders triggered by the fatal 2011 Christchurch earthquakes (n=285) and compared with newly identified prehistoric (Holocene and Pleistocene) boulders (n=1049) deposited on the same hillslope. A significant population of modern boulders (n=26) travelled farther downslope (>150 m) than their most-travelled prehistoric counterparts, causing extensive damage to residential dwellings at the foot of the hillslope. Replication of prehistoric boulder distributions using 3-dimensional rigid body numerical models requires the application of a drag-coefficient, attributed to moderate to dense slope vegetation, to account for their spatial distribution. Radiocarbon dating provides evidence for 17th to early 20th century deforestation at the study site during Polynesian and European colonization and after emplacement of prehistoric rockfalls. Anthropocene deforestation enabled modern rockfalls to exceed the limits of their prehistoric predecessors, highlighting a shift in the geologic expression of rockfalls due to anthropogenic activity. Optical and radiocarbon dating of loessic hillslope sediments in New Zealand’s South Island is used to constrain the timing of prehistoric rockfalls and associated seismic events, and quantify spatial and temporal patterns of hillslope sedimentation including responses to seismic and anthropogenic forcing. Luminescence ages from loessic sediments constrain timing of boulder emplacement to between ~3.0 and ~12.5 ka, well before the arrival of Polynesians (ca AD 1280) and Europeans (ca AD 1800) in New Zealand, and suggest loess accumulation was continuing at the study site until 12-13 ka. Large (>5 m3) prehistoric rockfall boulders preserve an important record of Holocene hillslope sedimentation by creating local traps for sediment aggradation and upbuilding soil formation. Sediment accumulation rates increased considerably (>~10 factor increase) following human arrival and associated anthropogenic burning of hillslope vegetation. New numerical ages are presented to place the evolution of loess-mantled hillslopes in New Zealand’s South Island into a longer temporal framework and highlight the roles of earthquakes and humans on hillslope surface process. Extensive field mapping and characterization for 1733 individual prehistoric rockfall boulders was conducted at Rapaki and another Banks Peninsula site, Purau, to understand their origin, frequency, and spatial and volumetric distributions. Boulder characteristics and distributions were compared to 421 boulders deposited at the same sites during the 2010-2011 Canterbury earthquake sequence. Prehistoric boulders at Rapaki and Purau are comprised of two dominant lithofacies types: volcanic breccia and massive (coherent) lava basalt. Volcanic breccia boulders are found in greatest abundance (64-73% of total mapped rockfall) and volume (~90-96% of total rockfall) at both locations and exclusively comprise the largest boulders with the longest runout distances that pose the greatest hazard to life and property. This study highlights the primary influence that volcanic lithofacies architecture has on rockfall hazard. The influence of anthropogenic modifications on the surface and subsurface geologic expression of contemporary liquefaction created during the 2010-2011 Canterbury earthquake sequence (CES) in eastern Christchurch is examined. Trench observations indicate that anthropogenic fill layer boundaries and the composition/texture of discretely placed fill layers play an important role in absorbing fluidized sand/silt and controlling the subsurface architecture of preserved liquefaction features. Surface liquefaction morphologies (i.e. sand blows and linear sand blow arrays) display alignment with existing utility lines and utility excavations (and perforated pipes) provided conduits for liquefaction ejecta during the CES. No evidence of pre-CES liquefaction was identified within the anthropogenic fill layers or underlying native sediment. Radiocarbon dating of charcoal within the youngest native sediment suggests liquefaction has not occurred at the study site for at least the past 750-800 years. The importance of systematically examining the impact of buried infrastructure on channelizing and influencing surface and subsurface liquefaction morphologies is demonstrated. This thesis highlights the importance of using a multi-technique approach for understanding prehistoric and contemporary earthquake phenomena and emphasizes the critical role that humans play in shaping the geologic record and Earth’s surface processes.
The repair of Christchurch's earthquake damaged arts centre has revealed details hidden from view for forty years including a badminton court and the site of an old swimming pool.
The Canterbury electricity lines company, Orion, says electricity use in its region is starting to recover following the earthquakes, helping it lift both annual profit and sales 3 percent.
Matt Brown is a barber - but he does much more than cut hair. After the Christchurch earthquakes he set up a barber shop - in a shed in his backyard.
Panellists Neil Miller and Zoe George discuss a breakthrough in multi-storey buildings for earthquakes with Ben Moerman, a PHD student from the University of Canterbury studying Civil Engineering.
A photograph of an earthquake-damaged building on the corner of Tuam and High Streets. A section of the wall has collapsed leaving the inside of the building exposed.
Silver Award presented to Henry Jenkins, originally from Blenheim. Pictured here with Vice-Chancellor Dr Rod Carr, Prime Minister John Key and Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Gerry Brownlee.
A graphic giving information about Ralph Hotere, awarded the Order of New Zealand. The illustration shows his painting, 'Hang in there mate', painted in response to the Christchurch earthquakes.
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Aerial shot of the fault line that ruptured, causing Saturday's 7.1 earthquake. Locals walk across a paddock showing jagged scars from the fault line".
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Chloe Farr (5) likes what she finds in a care pack given to displaced pupils from St Peters School, which was destroyed in the earthquake".
Silver Award presented to William William, who is originally from Jambi, Sumatra, Indonesia. Pictured here with Vice-Chancellor Dr Rod Carr, and Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Gerry Brownlee.
Silver Award presented to Henry Jenkins, originally from Blenheim. Pictured here with Vice-Chancellor Dr Rod Carr, Prime Minister John Key and Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Gerry Brownlee.
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Christchurch earthquake. Gareth Turnball inspects the condemned Coastal Spirit Soccer Club. The walls have separated from the floor which has humped substantially from the quake".
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Kaiapoi Paper Plus owner Jeremy Mead. The business will be closed by Christmas due to the recession and lingering effects of the 4 September earthquake".
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Band Together concert in Hagley Park for earthquake relief. Jade Fitzgerald (2 1/2 years old) stands on a cooler to get a better view".
A lawyer for the husband of a woman who died in the Christchurch earthquake says a coming inquest will show rifts within the Fire Service did hamper rescue efforts.
Retired Christchurch people affected by the earthquakes are disappointed they have been left out of new rules aimed at giving people in retirement villages better payouts after natural disasters.
The Christchurch City Council has received a strong warning from the Earthquake Recovery Minister to speed up its processing of building consents or lose its power to authorise consents.
Tower Insurance has increased the amount it is willing to pay towards repairing an earthquake-damaged Christchurch home, but is still refusing to pay for a more expensive rebuild.
The Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority spent more than three million dollars on communications staff and consultants in the last financial year, up by a third on the previous year.
Radio NZ's Vicki McKay among those honoured at an awards ceremony in Christchurch for heroism, service or acts of kindness by organisations and individuals during the Canterbury earthquakes.
About 70 percent of Canterbury's residential earthquake claims have not been dealt with and submissions on the closure of Christchurch schools show some are willing to sacrifice their neighbours.
With earthquake damage worse than first, gallery staff are thinking laterally, and this weekend sees the beginning of the Rolling Maul Exhibition. Director Jenny Harper gives us an update.
Health officials in Christchurch have today begun work on a recovery plan for how they will replace hundreds of beds lost in rest homes because of the recent earthquake.
The Government has confirmed it is closely monitoring the insurer, AMI, whose $1 Billion in reinsurance and capital is believed to have been exhausted by the two Canterbury earthquakes.
Church bells tolled around the country at exactly 12.51 this afternoon - one week on from the deadly Christchurch earthquake, which may have claimed as many as 240 lives.
Canterbury Museum says because of the earthquake it's likely to be weeks before they can open a sealed time capsule found under a statue brought down by the quake.
The declaration by the Finance Minister that all spending is now under review has prompted warnings that the Christchurch earthquake should not be used to push through unpopular policies.
The voters of Botany will elect a new MP tomorrow, but last week's earthquake in Christchurch has meant the last few weeks of the campaign have been very subdued.