USGS: Magnitude 7.0 - SOUTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND

Saturday, 4 September 2010, 9:44 am
Press Release: US Geological Survey

Magnitude 7.0 - SOUTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND

2010 September 03 16:35:46 UTC

Earthquake Details

This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.
Magnitude
7.0
Date-Time
Friday, September 03, 2010 at 16:35:46 UTC
Saturday, September 04, 2010 at 04:35:46 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
43.375°S, 172.016°E
Depth
12 km (7.5 miles) set by location program
Region
SOUTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND
Distances
55 km (35 miles) WNW of Christchurch, New Zealand
185 km (115 miles) S of Westport, New Zealand
305 km (190 miles) NNE of Dunedin, New Zealand
325 km (200 miles) SW of WELLINGTON, New Zealand
Location Uncertainty
horizontal +/- 11.2 km (7.0 miles); depth fixed by location program
Parameters
NST= 98, Nph= 98, Dmin=86.7 km, Rmss=1.69 sec, Gp= 32°,
M-type=teleseismic moment magnitude (Mw), Version=8
Source
USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
Event ID
us2010atbj

Tectonic Summary

The September 3, 2010 South Island, New Zealand earthquake occurred as a result of strike-slip faulting within the crust of the Pacific plate, near the eastern foothills of the Southern Alps at the western edge of the Canterbury Plains. The earthquake struck approximately 50 km to the west-northwest of Christchurch, the largest population center in the region, and about 80-90 km to the south and east of the current expression of the Australia:Pacific plate boundary through the island (the Alpine and Hope Faults). The earthquake, though removed from the plate boundary itself, likely reflects right-lateral motion on one of a number of regional faults related to the overall relative motion of these plates and may be related to the overall southern propagation of the Marlborough fault system in recent geologic time.

Today's earthquake occurred approximately 50 km to the southeast of a M7.1, surface-rupturing event in Authur's Pass, on March 9th, 1929, which caused 17 fatalities. More recently, two earthquakes of M6.7 and M5.9 occurred in June 1994 approximately 40 km to the northwest of today's event, but did not cause any known fatalities or significant damage.

Click to enlarge

ENDS

World Headlines

WORLD > >

U.S. Politics: STOCK Act Passes House - 'Political Intelligence' Omission

The U.S. House of Representatives passed its version of the STOCK Act today, which omits disclosure requirements for "political intelligence" workers that were included in the version of the bill passed by the Senate last week ( S 2038). More>>

Exhibition - West Papuan Women of Resistance: Dear Friends Of Art And West Papua

You are invited to what is perhaps a unique exhibition featuring women of West Papua in their living response to the suppression of human rights and freedom under Indonesian occupation and military brutality over the past fifty years. More>>

U.S. Politics: David Swanson: The Election We Should Be Following

For progressives and populists around the country who take an interest in Congressional races there are always a few good challengers we might hope to send to Washington. Incumbents, we assume, can take care of themselves. But in Northern Ohio, redistricting ... More>>

Greenpeace: Industry Figures Confirm GM Food Is European Commercial Flop

Annual industry figures to be released on Tuesday are expected to confirm the commercial failure of genetically modified (GM) food in Europe, said Greenpeace. Only around 0.06% of the EU’s agricultural land was used in 2011 to grow GM food, the report ... More>>

Asia: IFJ Press Freedom In China Campaign Bulletin

1. China’s New Clampdown: Press Freedom in China 2011 2. Senior Newspaper Staff Sacked for Reporting Inflation Concerns in China 3. Journalist Attacked in Taiwan 4. Dissident Writer Yu Jie Flees to the United States 5. Writer Li Tei Sentenced ... More>>

Women’s Rights: 2,000 African Communities Abandon Female Genital Mutilation

New York, Feb 6 2012 1:10PM A new United Nations report shows that almost 2,000 communities across Africa abandoned female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) last year, prompting calls for a renewed global push to end this harmful practice once and for all. More>>

Connie Lawn: Newt Gingrich Wins In South Carolina

Former House speaker Newt Gingrich gives his victory speech in Columbia after winning the South Carolina primary with 40% of the vote. Runner-up Mitt Romney pledges to fight for Republican nomination in 'long race', while third-placed Rick Santorum says of Gingrich: 'He kicked butt. I'm proud of him.' Ron Paul finished fourth ... More >>

ALSO:

Gordon Campbell - On Mitt Romney’s victory in Florida
Connie Lawn - Connie Lawn Audio: Florida Primary

Pacific.Scoop: Real Change In Burma No Longer A Pipe Dream – But Don’t Jump The Gun

For a long time, it was easy for us to hold an opinion on Burma. It fitted neatly into the classic dichotomy of good and evil. The regime – made up of cruel, despotic military generals – was bad, and Aung San Suu Kyi and the huddled masses of Burmese people she led were good. More >>

Burma: After Political Prisoner Amnesty, Ethnic Warfare Is Rekindled In North

Even as the Burmese government initiates political reforms in much of the country, it has intensified an ethnic civil war in the resource-rich hills of northern Myanmar, a conflict that at once threatens its warming trend with the United States... More >>