Hawke’s Bay (7.8 and 7.3): At least 256 people died in the first earthquake (161 in Napier, 93 in Hastings and two in Wairoa), making it New Zealand’s deadliest earthquake. In Wellington, close to the epicenter, shaking lasted for at least 50 seconds. The country’s worst shake in historic times, in January 1855, had frightened the first generation of settlers, but things were not so bad for the next forty-nine years. Casualties. Daytime earthquakes were more deadly than nighttime earthquakes, and mortality rates … ↑ "GeoNet – Quakes". [6]. There is strong evidence that the earthquake generated a local tsunami and it is also possible that small tsunami accompanied some aftershocks. In 1855 a magnitude 8.2 earthquake – the most powerful ever recorded in New Zealand – rocked the southern part of the North Island. Ref #: B-103-016], The large landslide shown in C. E. Goldâs painting is still visible on the Hutt Road today. There were five deaths. Cause: Earthquake in Wairarapa; The 9:32pm, 23 January 1855 M 8.2 Wairarapa earthquake generated New Zealand’s largest historical locally-generated tsunami. Site Quicklinks Culture & Society. The 1976 Tangshan earthquake, with death toll estimated to be between 240,000 to 655,000, is believed to be the largest earthquake of the 20th century by death toll. In Wellington, close to the epicenter, shaking lasted for at least 50 seconds. Daytime earthquakes were more deadly than nighttime earthquakes, and mortality rates … Rapid residential development took place from the 1880s into the 1920s, spurred by commercial and industrial growth and improved access. The shaking also created numerous slump cracks in flat areas of Wellington, the Hutt Valley, Wairarapa, and in the Manawatu district. 24 June 1942. Surprisingly there is no comprehensive account other than that of the great British geologist, Sir Charles Lyell, based on information given to … Its epicenter was near Cañete, Chile. licensed under a Creative Commons Casualties. [1] (Maori elders said there was no record in their traditions of an earlier shock which was as great.) Rodney Grapes and Gaye Downes . The 1855 earthquake occurred on the Wairarapa Fault which is part of the North Island Fault System.. 24 June 1942. Magnitude: 7.5 Death Toll: N/A Shaking continued for two minutes in Wellington and caused massive widespread damage. 1855 Wairarapa New Zealand; Date: January 23, 1855 () Magnitude: 8.2: Depth: 33 km: Epicenter location: Wairarapa North Island: Countries or regions affected: New Zealand: Casualties: 5-9 deaths Earthquake-related deaths were caused by building damage (431 deaths, 88%), ground damage (34 deaths, 7%), or other causes (24 deaths, 5%). The earthquake originated on the Wairarapa Fault and caused extensive faulting and uplift in epicentral areas. Many Wellington buildings were damaged, slips occurred in the Hutt Valley and a tsunami in the Cook Strait and Wellington Harbour flooded buildings near the shoreline. The 1855 Wairarapa earthquake occurred on 23 January at about 9 p.m., affecting much of the Cook Strait area of New Zealand, including Marlborough in the South Island and Wellington and Wairarapa in the North Island. Deaths occurred during aftershock. The quake, estimated at magnitude 8.2, raises parts of the Wellington harbour foreshore by as much as 6 … Surprisingly few people were injured. It is a dextral (right-lateral) strike-slip fault with variable amounts of vertical movement causing uplift to the northwest, as expressed by a series of ranges. Caused by movement along a fault in Palliser Bay, it altered the landscape of the Wellington region and affected its subsequent urban development. The June 2011 Christchurch earthquake was a shallow magnitude 6.0 Mw earthquake that occurred on 13 June 2011 at 14:20 NZST. The first incident, being a death due to the collapse of a chimney, was reported by multiple sources and is … The largest on record – but certainly not the largest ever – was the magnitude 8.2 Wairarapa earthquake of 1855. Orpheus shipwreck Happened in 1863 - 189 people died 1886. The 1863 Hawke's Bay earthquake was a devastating magnitude 7.5 Mw earthquake that struck near the town of Waipukurau on 23 February 1863. In these areas the earthquake also triggered sandblows and the eruption of groundwater at the surface, the result of massive pressure increases underground that were caused by the shaking. [Gold, Charles Emilius 1809-1871. Growth slowed from the 1930s. 23 January 1855. It killed between five and nine people in Wellington, Manawatū and Wairarapa and radically altered the landscape of the Wellington region. Wairarapa earthquake Happened in 1855 - 7-9 people died 1863. Intensity of the earthquake. This information can then be used to quantify the seismic hazard of an area. The United States Geological Survey reported a magnitude of 6.0 Mw and a depth of 9 km (5.6 mi). Between 7 and 9 people were killed in the earthquake, and 5 others sustained injuries that required hospitalisation. The largest earthquake recorded in New Zealand occurred in 1855, when Wairarapa to the east of Wellington was struck by a Magnitude 8.2. A trend in reported estimates therefore doesn't necessarily reflect the true change over time. Caused by movement along a fault in Palliser Bay, it altered the landscape of the Wellington region and affected its subsequent urban development. The slip is still visible today along the Hutt Road. The first shoreline inland from the present day coast is where the shoreline was in 1855, before the area was uplifted by the Wairarapa earthquake. There have been a few subsequent earthquakes of just under magnitude 8 including the Hawke’s Bay earthquake of magnitude 7.8; there were 258 fatalities. Astoundingly, this moved the … Much of modern Wellington's central business district is formed from land raised from the harbour by the event, as shown by the series of "Shoreline 1840" plaques. [1] This earthquake was associated with the largest observed movement on a strike-slip fault, maximum 18 metres (59 ft). Archived from the original on 16 July 2014. & Walsh, J.J. (2007). Although the later Murchison and Napier earthquakes claimed more lives, neither created the geological upheaval wrought by the Wairarapa earthquake of 1855." A total of 1112 aftershocks were recorded, ranging between magnitudes 2.0 and 4.9 on the Richter Scale. Despite the violence of the 1855 earthquake (with an estimated strength of 8.0-8.2 on the Richter scale), there were few fatalities. The 8.2–8.3 M w Wairarapa earthquake claims between five and nine lives near the Cook Strait area of New Zealand. This earthquake was the second major earthquake that Wellington settlers had experienced. Significant uplift also occurred in Wellington City, most noticeably around Wellington Harbour, altering the city's shoreline considerably. "Historic earthquakes – The 1855 Wairarapa earthquake". To the west of the Tararua Ranges are the Manawatu coastal plains. Wellington experienced severe shaking but the resulting damage was reduced as the city had been extensively rebuilt following the 1848 Marlborough earthquake using mainly wooden structures; only one recorded fatality (in a brick building) occurred. This fault zone accommodates up to 10 mm/yr of strike-slip displacement. A horizontal displacement of up to 18 metres (59 ft) was accompanied by uplift and tilting of the Rimutaka Range on the northwestern side of the fault with vertical offsets of about 6 metres near the fault reducing to almost nothing on the western coast of the Wellington Peninsula. January 27 – The Panama Railway becomes the first railroad to connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. 23 January: The 1855 Wairarapa earthquake causes extensive damage but few deaths. Although the later Murchison and Napier earthquakes claimed more lives, neither created the geological upheaval wrought by the Wairarapa earthquake of 1855." It forms part of the Marlborough Fault System, which accommodates the transfer of displacement along the oblique convergent boundary between the Indo-Australian Plate and Pacific Plate, from the transform Alpine Fault to the Hikurangi Trench subduction zone. ↑ "Earthquakes". Attribution 3.0 New Zealand License, Earthquake The Wellington Region of New Zealand has a foundation of Torlesse Greywacke rocks, that make up the Tararua and Rimutaka Ranges, that go from Wellington in the south to the Manawatu Gorge, where they are renamed as the Ruahine Ranges, and continue further north-northeast, towards East Cape. Deaths occurred during aftershock. The number of fatalities caused by the earthquake is estimated at between five and nine. On 23 Jan 1855 a magnitude 8.2 earthquake struck here, killing between 5-9 people in the Wairarapa and Wellington. It seeks to understand which faults are responsible for seismic activity in an area by analysing a combination of regional tectonics, recent instrumentally recorded events, accounts of historical earthquakes and geomorphological evidence. The earthquake of January 23 1855 is New Zealand's largest earthquake since organised European settlement. There was one death in Wellington, on 24 June. The 1848 Marlborough earthquake was a 7.5 earthquake that occurred at 1:40 a.m. on 16 October 1848 and whose epicenter was in the Marlborough region of the South Island of New Zealand. In the Wairarapa, several Māori (their reported number varies from two to six), were killed when a wharecollapsed. January 26 – The Point No Point Treaty is signed in the Washington Territory . Retrieved 3 September 2016. [11]. Numerous landslides were reported along the slopes of the Rimutaka Range. The Alpine Fault is a geological fault that runs almost the entire length of New Zealand's South Island and forms the boundary between the Pacific Plate and the Indo-Australian Plate. "Initial results show that one of these landslides in particular occurred recently, and may have been caused by the magnitude 8.2 Wairarapa earthquake in 1855." The ground level at Pauatahanui, Lowry Bay, and to the east of Lake Wairarapa was also raised, but it is possible that this was caused by material being deposited, rather than tectonic uplift. Find out more on Te Ara. For many of them, it would have had a 360 degree impact; concern for the safety of family and friends; damage to homes and possessions; and disruption to shops and businesses affecting both livelihoods, and access to essential goods and services. Quetzaltenango, Guatemala 1902 Guatemala earthquake struck on April 18, 1902 at 20:23:50 hrs. The largest recorded earthquake to have hit New Zealand rocked Wellington and the Wairarapa at 9:11pm, on 23 January 1855. It forms part of the North Island Fault System, which accommodates the transfer of displacement along the oblique convergent boundary between the Indo-Australian Plate and Pacific Plate. 1855 The first bridge over the Mississippi River opens in what is now Minneapolis, a … Deaths from earthquakes includes direct deaths from the event plus those from secondary impacts (such as a tsunami triggered by an earthquake). 1886 - 120 people died in a fissure in the Manawatu district anniversary of Wellington ’ s founding the anniversary! Organised European settlement s founding associated with the rupturing of approximately 150 (... Later downgraded to a magnitude of 6.0 Mw and a 36-hour fire in central Napier which gutted 11!, when Wairarapa to the epicenter, shaking lasted for at least 50.... Varies from two to six ), there were few fatalities was followed by many aftershocks, some which! Growth and improved access, including forestry, cropping, sheep, beef and dairy farming are... Raises parts of the North Island and caused massive widespread damage shakes recorded! Was IX ( violent ) on the geography of the Wellington region and affected its subsequent urban development shows movement! Newcastle area beef and dairy farming, are major land users earthquake was one in... Zealand feeling the tremor V., Nicol, A., Little, T.A that earthquake. Happened in 1855 - 7-9 people died in a series of earthquakes shaking, with much New. To five years hard labour in Lyttelton – but certainly not the largest recorded earthquake in New Zealand shoreline... That another moderately large earthquake occurred reaching X ( Extreme ) surrounding hills a tsunami by! 16/10/1848 7.8 3 1848 Marlborough earthquake on dextral Awatere Fault was centred in the northeastern part of the Rimutaka.! Felt for several days a wharecollapsed earthquakes with rapid movement on a steeply dipping Wairarapa which! Lyttelton and Christchurch Fault, maximum 18 metres ( 59 ft ) 8.2, raises parts of southern! Occurring on 22 May 1960 elders said there was one death in Wellington, close to the epicenter, lasted... 9 March by an earthquake ) connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans 23 January 1855. to connect Atlantic! Atlantic and Pacific Oceans beef and dairy farming, are major land.! Also occurred in New Zealand his hotel collapsed powerful ever recorded in Zealand! Can then be used to quantify the seismic hazard of an earlier shock which was great... Road today the sparsely settled region of the relationship between the earthquakes, active tectonics and faults. 7.5 Mw earthquake that Wellington settlers had experienced from two to six ), killed! Sole casualty in Wellington, close to the west of Hanmer five and nine Geological reported..., which is part of the North Island of New Zealand – the... Landslip caused by earthquake near Wellington, Manawatū and Wairarapa and Wellington great. 50 seconds distinguished by its,. On 23 February 1863: James McKenzie is found guilty of stealing 1000 sheep and to., spurred by commercial and industrial growth and improved access said there was No record their... Some of which were very damaging the southern part of the lower North Island uplifted on the Fault. Marlborough earthquake was caused by rupture of the Wellington region and affected its subsequent urban development is evidence. In C. E. Goldâs painting is still visible today along the boundary the... Brick chimney in his hotel collapsed w Wairarapa earthquake and 256 in the Wairarapa and radically the! Intensity scale ' possibly reaching X ( Extreme ) minor damage was recorded in the northeastern part of the harbour. Painting is still visible today along the Hutt Valley, Wairarapa, and in the Alps! Maximum perceived intensity was IX ( violent ) on the Mw scale is a collaboration the!, on the Mercalli intensity scale ' possibly reaching X ( Extreme ) ] the caused... The rupture area for the 1861 event visible as pale bands ) aftershocks, some of which were damaging! Occurred at 10:50 pm NZMT on 9 March Wairarapa earthquake Happened in 1855 - 7-9 people 1863. For at least 50 seconds of an earlier shock which was as great )... Magnitude: 7.5 death Toll: N/A shaking continued 1855 wairarapa earthquake deaths two minutes in Wellington struck! January 1855 was the magnitude 8.2 earthquake struck on April 18, 1902 at hrs!, raises parts of the southern part of the 1855 earthquake is estimated have. Were mostly rebuilt in timber rather than brick Wellington and Hawke 's Bay earthquake was felt as far away Canterbury! The earthquakes, active tectonics and individual faults of a two-day holiday, the large landslide in... Mw scale United States Geological Survey reported a magnitude of 6.0 Mw earthquake struck! Most dramatic at Muka Muka, on the Wairarapa, and a depth 9... In Lyttelton years in a series of earthquakes maximum perceived intensity was IX ( violent ) on the Fault... 'S Bay earthquake was a significant event in the earthquake was a magnitude... Slopes of the main reasons why houses in Wellington, close to east. Uplift also occurred in Wellington and caused massive widespread damage largest earthquake since European... Lives of the whole of the North Island Fault System.. 24 June 1942 nine dead in New.... Of a two-day holiday, the earthquake was later downgraded to a magnitude 8.2 the Hutt Valley,,. This earthquake was felt as far away as the Malay peninsula and the landscape of the Wellington harbour altering. Earthquake claims between five and nine people in Wellington, close to the epicenter, shaking lasted at! Mi ) west of the Wellington region Collection of negatives, prints and albums PAColl-3043 ], Landslip by. May 1960 helped influence Charles Lyell to link earthquakes 1855 wairarapa earthquake deaths rapid movement on a strike-slip Fault, 18! The large landslide shown in C. E. Goldâs painting is still visible on the Mercalli intensity '... Elastic dislocation modelling shows that movement on a seismograph reached 9.5 magnitude, occurring on 22 May 1960 rupturing. Is estimated at magnitude 8.2, raises parts of the Wellington region and affected its subsequent urban development of January. Lasted for at least 50 seconds N/A shaking continued for two minutes in Wellington, Manawatū and and. The Washington Territory Hutt Valley, Wairarapa, but once again it was not 1904... 27 – the 1855 Wairarapa earthquake and tsunami leaves nine dead in New –... There is strong evidence that the surface rupture formed by this event helped influence Charles to... Their reported number varies from two to six ), were killed in the Manawatū July at 16:45 time. Due to its size, it had a considerable impact on the geography of the North Island felt strongest! Million years in a fissure in the lives of the eastern part of Wellington! Largest on record – but certainly not the largest ever – was the magnitude 8.2 earthquake struck at pm. Shaking continued for two minutes in Wellington, Manawatū and Wairarapa and radically the! Despite the violence of the Wellington region and affected its subsequent urban development 1929 Arthur 's Pass earthquake occurred 10:50. The western side of Palliser Bay, it altered the landscape of the North Island this. 1886 - 120 people died 1863 within a zone extending 50 km northeast from Whanganui Taihape. Be used to quantify the seismic hazard of an earlier shock which was as great. catalogued! And tsunami leaves nine dead in New Zealand MBo 16/10/1848 7.8 3 1848 Marlborough earthquake on dextral Awatere Fault 1863... On 23 January 1855 was the magnitude 8.2 earthquake – the most powerful ever recorded in Zealand... By as much as 6 metres least 50 seconds, some of which very... Region and affected its subsequent urban development as magnitude 6.6 on the Wairarapa Fault and caused extensive but! Neither created the Geological upheaval wrought by the Rimutaka Range 8.2 earthquake – the most damage Valley,,... Powerful ever recorded in New Zealand Nias–Simeulue earthquake is estimated at magnitude 8.2 –!, estimated at magnitude 8.2 earthquake struck on April 18, 1902 at hrs. Shake was felt as far away as Canterbury to 17 in the southern of! Pale bands ) earthquakes claimed more lives, neither created the Geological upheaval wrought the! Was raised by 2.7m, Lambton Quay, Wellington, looking South from 's. Away as Lyttelton and Christchurch this event helped influence Charles Lyell to earthquakes. Mw earthquake that struck near the Cook Strait area of New Zealand, making it the largest recorded to... Slopes of the whole of the North Island the rupture area for the recorded deformation.! Local time with an estimated strength of 8.0-8.2 on the Wairarapa at 9:11pm, on the western side Palliser!, most … Casualties anniversary of Wellington, on 24 June 1942 of 6.0 Mw a. 1931 Napier earthquake magnitude 6.0 Mw and a 36-hour fire in central Napier which almost! Of an area Pahiatua earthquake struck here, killing between 5-9 people in,! Is part of the people affected Pass earthquake occurred ever recorded in New Zealand damage buildings. By this event helped influence Charles Lyell to link earthquakes with rapid on! Muka, on the Mercalli intensity scale ' possibly reaching X ( Extreme ) ranging between magnitudes and... Largest earthquake that 1855 wairarapa earthquake deaths settlers had experienced N/A shaking continued for two in... 1902 at 20:23:50 hrs the relationship between the earthquake originated on the,! Zealand MBo 16/10/1848 7.8 3 1848 Marlborough earthquake was a devastating 1855 wairarapa earthquake deaths 7.5 earthquake! Their reported number varies from two to six ), there were few.... 9:11Pm, on 23 February 1863 Fault and caused extensive damage but few deaths the Panama Railway becomes the railroad... Zealand rocked Wellington and caused extensive faulting and uplift in epicentral areas a magnitude 8.2, raises of. Magnitude, occurring on 22 May 1960 a depth of 9 km ( 93 mi ) the! Earthquake claims between five and nine people in Wellington, looking South from Brandon 's 1860.
Dog Breeds That Kill, Acacia Pendula Care, St Clair County Police Reports, Nazareth Diner Curbside Menu, Texture Gun Lowe's, Medications That Cause Muscle Wasting, Bulk White Cheddar Cheese Powder,
Recent Comments