Big Quakes forecast for New Zealand

According to this report, New Zealand could be experiencing more big Earthquakes in the near future.

Only a couple of weeks ago the 2nd largest recorded quake in New Zealand history hit west of Invercargill. It measured 7.8.

A powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the south-west coast of New Zealand

This report mentions the role that water deep down in the earths crust plays in these big quakes happening.

Water from the Earth's crust deep under New Zealand is building up in rocks under the South Island with potential to increase faultlines and trigger quakes

It appears these fluids trigger major earthquakes and did so during magnitude-7 and larger earthquakes in the Murchison area," the researchers said today

Will be interesting to see what sort of timescale we are talking about here. Weeks,Months,Years? Guess we shall find out soon enough.


tvnz.co.nz...

news.bbc.co.uk...

This is great news for Wellingtonians!

reply to post by Whine Flu




I would be moving to another part of New Zealand if i was you!!

I found another really good article here which explains nthe "Magnetotelluric sounding" process much better.

As the electromagnetic waves pass through Earth's interior, they travel faster or slower depending on the extent to which rock and other material conducts or resists electricity. Water is more conductive, so it can be detected by this technique

on 2nd thoughts, maybe South Island residents should be more worried!!

The largest accumulation of water beneath the subduction zone also is the deepest and farthest west beneath the South Island

www.sciencecentric.com...

Wellingtonians would be so used to movements that they hardly flinched when I was living there, me on the other hand was running for cover until I understood the relaxed attitude. A Big one will change that one day though.

I guess I'm pretty happy that I don't actually live in Wellington. I live outside of Wellington in the Hutt Valley, but no one really gives a crap about the Hutt Valley, and it's way easier to just affiliate with the better known city which is only around 20km away anyway.