I think they were expecting another major quake. Not that there's very much that can be done except help in the aftermath.
Hi all. Thank you for your good wishes. Nothing much happened in Christchurch apart from being woken by a gentle rocking, like being on a small boat. It did seem to go on for a long time, though - much longer than we are used to. The only annoying thing was being kept awake by the tsunami warning siren. I live at 225m so the chances of being swept away by the tides is fairly remote. There is a theory/hypothesis that the increased frequency of earthquakes in our region is because of climate change. The suggestion is that as the Antarctic ice pack melts the pressure on the Earth's crust decreases, which results in movement of the plates around the Pacific rim. I have no idea if there is any scientific evidence for this, or even if earthquake frequency has increased. As for Fez's comment. There is expectation that the major fault line that goes up the Southern Alps then on to Wellington, where it meets two other major fault lines, will go sometime in the relatively near future. That will be big. I wouldn't live in Wellington even though it is probably my favourite city in NZ. They seem totally unprepared for a big event. There are too many brick buildings and the sea defences are minimal.
Bloody autocorrect changed NZ to Fez, presumably because I type that more frequently? I've long wanted to do a thread on Autocorrect. An example is my username. Autocorrect constantly wants me to change it to andytop rankin, begging the question "What is an andytop?" (that will set BB off pointing out it is a conveniently placed item of clothing...) I've noticed that instead of going to a more likely spelling of a particular word, its attempts at contextual swaps are increasing and proving bloody weird. I sometimes write them in but this needs a thread the more I think about it. Like the time it changed some word (can't remember) to "on", suggesting that my forum colleagues should all be "on" this woman we were talking about. Thatch kiss grace... Suffice to say, glad to hear you're OK, NZ.
Glad things are OK with you NZ. The magnitude of the quake was high and the length long - factors usually associated with terrible casualties - I was surprised and relieved to find that was not the case this time. Perhaps it is also about how deep the epicentre is.
Well, I too am relieved to hear that you're okay NZ. Interesting comment regarding the theory behind the recent seismology and the Antarctic ice melts. I was watching Planet Earth II last night and was quite disturbed by the state of the Himalayas and the Andes.
See they've given the go-ahead for the Test against Pakistan to go ahead, so all credit to those involved with the building of Hagley Oval: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/37971803
Leo, a lot depends on how the earth moves. For the Christchurch earthquake the movement was up and down, which causes a lot more damage, especially if the buildings are old and without modern reinforcing. The one that has just occurred was more of a slip, with the plates moving sideways. A sideways movement makes landslips much more likely, though. The road north up the east coast is going to take a long time to clear. Fortunately the quake was at night and at this time of the year so there was very little traffic. The time of day is also very important. If the Christchurch earthquake had happened at night there would have been many fewer casualties.
Really glad you and yours are safe and sound NZ Belated birthday wishes to Mrs.Leo for Saturday. I've been off-line!
Thanks Canary - had a good time - daughter and grandchildren visited. Saw about your PC troubles - mine died about a month ago and had to get it fixed - they charged a very reasonable £60. However while it was away for repair I bought a new laptop which is now in Mrs L's safe hands as her old one was getting very slow - I think it had worn away some of it bits or bytes or whatever
I'm really enjoying my new one, it's so fast it pops up before I've finished typing! Well, compared to the old one
Like others I hope you and family stay safe. My sister and brother in law are in NZ for a once in a lifetime trip. As part of their holiday they are due to travel around in a motorhome. They might now head to a safe zone if there is such a thing! They certainly felt the tremors whilst staying in the Northern part.
They will be safe enough from earthquakes wherever they go, SH. There will be aftershocks but if they are in a motor home they will have nothing to worry about, other than some of the other drivers they meet. At this stage it just comes down to attitude. There are people who live in fear and there are those who roll with it and take it in their stride. The risk factor after the initial quake is very low - much lower than a lot of other things we do. A few years ago my elderly aunt visited. Whilst here we had quite a big aftershock - 4 point something, which rocked the bed and room she was in. My worries about her proved baseless when she commented, " I'm 85 years old and I didn't think I could have a new experience. It was wonderful!" As for your sister, it is a shame that they won't be able to visit Kaikoura but they must come to the South Island and its west coast. They shouldn't let earthquakes spoil their trip.