The Police cordon turned Madras Street eerily silent during the Tuesday evening rush hour in the aftermath of the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that hit Christchurch on 4 September 2010.
This beautiful building on Madras Street may be condemned after suffering serious structural damage in the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that hit Christchurch on Saturday 4 September 2010.
The Christchurch School of Music on Barbadoes Street lost its brick gables in the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck Christchurch on Saturday 4 September 2010.
The Police cordon turned Madras Street eerily silent during the Tuesday evening rush hour in the aftermath of the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that hit Christchurch on 4 September 2010.
The old Christchurch City Council building on Tuam Street was damaged in the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck Christchurch on Saturday 4 September 2010.
The brick fence of this hostel along Bealey Ave collapsed in the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck Christchurch on Saturday 4 September 2010.
The old Christchurch City Council building on Tuam Street was damaged in the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck Christchurch on Saturday 4 September 2010.
Time stands still on the Science Museum clock tower as a poignant reminder of the moment the trembler struck Christchurch in the early hours of Saturday 4 September 2010.
Damaged roof has rendered this pub on Madras Street unsafe in the aftermath of the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that hit Christchurch on Saturday 4 September 2010.
Unusual Thursday evening rush hour traffic jam along Bealey Ave, in the aftermath of the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck Christchurch on Saturday 4 September 2010.
This hostel along Bealey Ave lost its chimney stacks and brick fence during the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck Christchurch on Saturday 4 September 2010.
This hostel along Bealey Ave lost its chimney stacks and brick fence during the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck Christchurch on Saturday 4 September 2010.
This hostel along Bealey Ave lost its chimney stacks and brick fence during the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck Christchurch on Saturday 4 September 2010.
Geomorphic, structural and chronological data are used to establish the late Quaternary paleoseismicity of the active dextral-oblique Northern Esk Fault in North Canterbury, New Zealand. Detailed field mapping of the preserved c. 35 km of surface traces between the Hurunui River and Ashley Head reveals variations in strike ranging from 005° to 057°. Along with kinematic data collected from fault plane striae and offset geomorphic markers along the length of the fault these variations are used to distinguish six structural subsections of the main trace, four dextral-reverse and two dextral-normal. Displacements of geomorphic markers such as minor streams and ridges are measured using differential GPS and rangefinder equipment to reveal lateral offsets ranging from 3.4 to 23.7 m and vertical offsets ranging from < 1 to 13.5 m. Characteristic single event displacements of c. 5 m and c. 2 m have been calculated for strike-slip and reverse sections respectively. The use of fault scaling relationships reveals an anomalously high displacement to surface rupture length ratio when compared to global data sets. Fault scaling relationships based on width limited ruptures and magnitude probabilities from point measurements of displacement imply earthquake magnitudes of Mw 7.0 to 7.5. Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) ages from displaced Holocene alluvial terraces at the northern extent of the active trace along with OSL and radiocarbon samples of the central sections constrain the timing of the last two surface rupturing events (11.15 ±1.65 and 3.5 ± 2.8 ka) and suggest a recurrence interval of c. 5612 ± 445 years and late Quaternary reverse and dextral slip rates of c. 0.31 mm/yr and 0.82 mm/yr respectively. The results of this study show that the Northern Esk Fault accommodates an important component of the c. 0.7 – 2 mm/yr of unresolved strain across the plate boundary within the North Canterbury region and affirm the Esk Fault as a source of potentially damaging ground shaking in the Canterbury region.
Dr. Mark Quiqley is Senior Lecturer in Active Tectonics and Geomorphology in the Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Canterbury. He is part of the team involved in the scientific response to the Canterbury earthquake and has been monitoring it from the air.
The kids in this house won't be getting presents from Santa this Christmas; collapsed chimney stack following the magnitude 7.1 earthquake in Christchurch on Saturday 4-9-2010.
The magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck Christchurch on 4 September 2010 caused the parapet to topple, taking with it the verandah of this cafe where I had a few coffees.
The magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck Christchurch on 4 September 2010 caused the parapet to topple, taking with it the verandah of this cafe where I had a few coffees.
This block of shops on Victoria Street was so badly damaged that it had to be demolished following the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck Christchurch on Saturday 4 September 2010.
This block of shops on Victoria Street was so badly damaged that it had to be demolished following the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck Christchurch on Saturday 4 September 2010.
This block of shops on Victoria Street was so badly damaged that it had to be demolished following the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck Christchurch on Saturday 4 September 2010.
The ground literally opened up! On the previously unknown faultline along which the Saturday 4 September 2010 earthquake originated.
The facade of this shop on Manchester Street was reduced to a heap of rubble during the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck Christchurch on Saturday 4 September 2010.
This shop at the Colombo Street / Tuam Street corner lost its side wall in the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck Christchurch on Saturday 4 September 2010.
The ground literally opened up! On the previously unknown faultline along which the Saturday 4 September 2010 earthquake originated.
The ground literally opened up! On the previously unknown faultline along which the Saturday 4 September 2010 earthquake originated.
This shop at the Colombo Street / Tuam Street corner lost its side wall in the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck Christchurch on Saturday 4 September 2010.
Parts of the facade of the Anglican Community of the Sacred Name building on Barbadoes Street ended on the street during the magnitude 7.1 earthquake in Christchurch on Saturday 4-9-2010.
Parts of the facade of the Anglican Community of the Sacred Name building on Barbadoes Street ended on the street during the magnitude 7.1 earthquake in Christchurch on Saturday 4-9-2010.
The ground literally opened up! On the previously unknown faultline along which the Saturday 4 September 2010 earthquake originated.