A typical "sand volcano" caused by liquefaction where the soil loses its strength during the earthquake and the silt rises upwards, ejecting out of a hole like magma in a volcano.
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This has made a huge mess for the residents to clean up. I heard on the news that homes have been damaged by subsidence in areas of earthquake-caused liquefaction like this.
This one was really flowing out of the ground.
Robbie watches a sand volcano smother his driveway.
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Debra points at the beginnings of a sand volcano not long after the big earthquake.
A sand volcano in the Halswell Primary School grounds. Sand volcanoes were caused by liquefaction where the soil loses its strength during the earthquake and the silt rises upwards, ejecting out of a hole like magma in a volcano.
Laura, Nicola, and Debra watch a sand volcano build in the Wyn Street gutter.
(I righted the bird bath after the initial earthquake. None of the after-shocks were sufficient to knock it over again.)
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And, yes, the newspaper always gets through! The Press newspapers were delivered in our area of Hoon Hay in the hours after the earthquake.
An usual thing to see coming from the ground in Hoon Hay, Christchurch.
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These were scattered across the park.
The earthquake knocked over the bird bath.
A sand volcano in the Halswell Primary School grounds near the playground. Sand volcanoes were caused by liquefaction where the soil loses its strength during the earthquake and the silt rises upwards, ejecting out of a hole like magma in a volcano.
Lots of people were out and about in the streets checking on everyone after the earthquake. When it was clear that everyone was OK, the sand volcanos became the feature of interest.