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6.5-magnitude quake, many aftershocks, strike New Zealand

A 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck in New Zealand Friday (August 16, 2013) at 2:31 p.m. local time. It disrupted transportation and trapped people in elevators. At least six aftershocks of 5.0 magnitude or stronger followed the main quake. No tsunami warnings were issued.

The quake’s epicenter was 14 miles south of the town of Blenheim, at the northern tip of New Zealand’s south island, and was felt in the capital, Wellington, on the other side of the Cook Strait that lies between New Zealand’s two main islands. The Washington Post reported:

Several homes near the epicenter were severely damaged, with chimneys collapsing and roofs caving in, said police spokeswoman Barbara Dunn. She said a bridge was severely damaged on the main highway near Seddon, and that rocks and debris had fallen onto the road. Police closed a section of the highway.

Some buildings in Wellington, the capital, were evacuated, and items were knocked off shelves in places.

On February 22, 2011, a 6.3-magnitude earthquake in the city of Christchurch in 2011 killed 185 people and destroyed much of the city’s downtown, in one of New Zealand’s deadliest peacetime disasters. That is probably why Vince Cholewa, a spokesman for New Zealand’s civil defense ministry, was quoted by CNN today as saying about the quake:

We’ve certainly dodged a bullet.

Details of the main quake, from the U.S. Geological Survey, are as follows:

Event Time
2013-08-16 02:31:07 UTC
2013-08-16 14:31:07 UTC+12:00 at epicenter

Location
41.767°S 174.061°E

Depth=10.0km (6.2mi)

Nearby Cities
29km (18mi) SSE of Blenheim, New Zealand
77km (48mi) SW of Karori, New Zealand
80km (50mi) SW of Wellington, New Zealand
84km (52mi) SE of Nelson, New Zealand
87km (54mi) ESE of Richmond, New Zealand

Many volcanoes on Earth are located around the Pacific Ring of Fire. Image Credit: U.S. Geological Survey.

New Zealand is located on the Ring of Fire – an area around the Pacific Ocean where seismic activity, such as earthquakes and volcanoes, are common.

Bottom line: A strong earthquake struck New Zealand on August 16, 2013. Minor damage and no reports of injuries.

What is the Ring of Fire?

Posted 
August 16, 2013
 in 
Earth

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Deborah Byrd

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