Christchurch, NZ

• Christchurch location


  New Zealand, Australasia

  Below the tropic of Capricorn, above the Antarctic circle

  Pacific Ocean

  New Zealand -> Australia = north west

  southern/eastern hemisphere
• why was the Earthquake so severe?

  New Zealand is located on a plate boundary - two types of plate = conservative and destructive (most violent earthquakes)

  earthquakes were moths apart - Sept 2010 (M7.1) and Feb 2011 (M6.3)
• causes to make earthquake so severe


  focus = 5Km deep (shallow)

  happened 12;51pm - people were out

  lots of aftershocks were recorded

  epicentre = close to the centre of a city (densely populated)
• shaking lasted for 12 seconds
• impacts

  • building damage was widespread because of earlier earthquake weakening structures
  • 185 deaths
  • landslides in suburbs caused serious damage to buildings
  • many roads and bridges were damaged
  • cars and buses were crushed by falling debris
  • Christchurch Cathedral lost its spire
  • Approximately 2000 people were injured
  • 10000 homes were damaged or destroyed and needed rebuilding
• responses (local)

  • New Zealand Red Cross launched an appeal to raise funds to help victims
  • local people cleaned their local areas
  • bottle water was supplied as water was cut off - 1 week = 70% households
  • search and rescue teams came from USA, UK, Australia, Japan and China
  • Australian gov donated $6.7 million
  • a full emergency response was launched 2 hours after
  • Hospitals that survived provided medical treatment
  • electricity was restored to 85% of household within 5 days (95% = 2 weeks
  • many buildings survived - demolished due to structural damage
• costs = $28 billion
• around $7 million aid given