2010 New Zealand Earthquake
Canterbury, New Zealand — September 4, 2010
The 2010 Canterbury earthquake caused extensive property damage across Christchurch but no direct deaths, largely because it struck at 4:35 AM on a weekend and the city's modern building standards performed well. A devastating aftershock six months later killed 185 people when buildings weakened by the earlier event collapsed.
Earthquake Facts
Magnitude
M7.1
Date
Sep 4, 2010
Depth
11 km
Deaths
0
Latitude
-43.555°
Longitude
172.183°
Tsunami
No
Region
New Zealand
Tectonic Cause
Previously unidentified blind reverse fault in the Canterbury Plains, east of the known Alpine Fault system. The earthquake highlighted the seismic hazard posed by unmapped faults beneath urban areas.
Aftermath in Pictures
Photos from Wikimedia Commons — open licenses (CC / Public Domain)
Images sourced from Wikimedia Commons under open licenses. Attribution required where specified. Click any image to enlarge.
Related Earthquakes in New Zealand
Sources & Further Reading
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