Local scale Earthquake - Christchurch

• Preparation of the Christchurch earthquake


  Previously unknown faultline 15 km in length running east-west and located South East of Christchurch

  Their preparedness was not able to prevent the deadly consequences of the February earthquake

  The community was well educated about earthquake preparation and knew how to respond.

  Many of the older buildings had not been strengthened, due to the unlikeliness of earthquakes

  Buildings which survived the quake had been built to stricter regulations from 1981 onward.
• Nature of seismic activity in New Zealand


  New Zealand is located along the Pacific Ring of Fire where the Pacific Plate is converging with the Indo-Australian plate.

  The South Island usually is less seismically active than the north

  New Zealand experiences between 10000 and 15000 earthquakes each year, of which around 100-150 are large enough to be felt, with several exceeding magnitude 6.

  The interaction of the Pacific and Indo-Australian plates in the South Island has resulted in the major Alpine and Hope fault lines
• Previous earthquake in Christchurch 2010


  An earthquake took place in the region earlier in September 2010. (The greater Dartfield earthquake epicentre 40 km to SW of Christchurch on the 10th September 2010 at a magnitude of 7.1). It only caused one death but caused $4 billion NZ of damage with 350,000 people experiencing 33 seconds of severe ground shaking.
• Christchurch earthquake date, magnitude and cause

  22 February 2011, 6.3 magnitude(10 times smaller than previous, focus was 5km below the surface which is relatively shallow. The earthquake happened on a conservative plate boundary between the Pacific plate and the Australian plate. There was a rupture of a 15-kilometre-long fault along the southern edge of the city.
• Negative impacts of the responses to the Christchurch earthquake

  -Increase in migration overseas due to the lack of employment opportunities in the recovery effort

  -The houses bought by the government could not be repaired for 3 years because an engineering solution to repair them would be uncertain, costly, and likely to be highly disruptive.

  -There have also been issues regarding the slowness in settling insurance claims.

  -200 elderly people died a solitary death away from friends and families in the five years after the event because the authorities didn’t have anything in place for them
• Positives of the immediate responses to the Christchurch earthquake

  The government intended to spend $10 billion renewing the education system in affected areas

  • Much of the CBD was converted into a complex of container boxes, each replacing services such as shops, banks, and even fast-food outlets.
  • The red zone was the worst affected area and the government agreed to buy over 5000 if the worst affected insured properties or the land in which they were built.
  • Rescue crews from all over the world, including the UK, USA, Taiwan and Australia, provided support
• Primary impacts of the Christchurch earthquake


  • 184 people killed
  • 1500 injuries
  • Shaking intensity led to enormous damage to the city’s buildings, half of which were destroyed or severely damaged
  • Six-story Canterbury Television building collapsed, killing 85 people
  • The cathedral was destroyed lowered the morale of many citizens
  • 150,000 homes and other buildings severely destroyed by the earthquake
  • Significant slope failure in the south-eastern upland Port Hills area caused rockfalls which caused fatalities and damage to properties
• Long term responses of the Christchurch earthquake


  • The construction of around 10,000 affordable homes
  • Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority was created to organise rebuilding the region. It had special powers to change planning laws and regulations.
  • The New Zealand government provided temporary housing
  • High rise buildings are now built with flexible steel frames and rubber blocks put under bridges to absorb shock.
  • Social workers learnt from the event and now offer counselling
• Secondary impacts of the Christchurch earthquake


  • 100 additional buildings were damaged beyond resin by an aftershock in June 2011
  • 50,000 residents moved permanently to other places in New Zealand and Australia four months after the earthquake
  • In September 2012 it was announced that 13 schools would close and 18 would merge as a result from the earthquake
  • Repair bill of NZ$750 million and the loss of 4500 pupils due to outmigration
  • Impacted businesses decisions to invest in the region.
  • Five Rugby World Cup matches were cancelled
  • 80% of the city centre reduced to rubble