1855 Wairarapa earthquake
Local date | 23 January 1855 |
---|---|
Local time | 21:00 |
Magnitude | 8.2 Mw |
Depth | 33 km |
Epicentre | 41°12′S 175°12′E / 41.20°S 175.20°E |
Areas affected | New Zealand, North Island |
Casualties | 7–9 deaths |
The 1855 Wairarapa earthquake occurred on 23 January at about 9.17 p.m.,
Tectonic setting
New Zealand lies along the boundary between the
Earthquake characteristics
The earthquake was associated with the rupturing of approximately 150 km (93 mi) of the Wairarapa Fault. A horizontal displacement of up to 18 metres (59 ft) was accompanied by uplift and tilting of the
At least ten large earthquakes were identified along the fault during the Holocene. Three of the most recent, including the 1855 earthquake, produced average slips of 16.5 m (54 ft) ± 2.2 m (7 ft 3 in). The unusually large slip to rupture length ratio meant the earthquake would have been a high stress drop, hence, energetic event. This may be possibly attributed to the geologically young nature of the fault, being about 1 to 3 million years old, making it an immature structure. Faults in their early developmental stage have been observed to generate earthquakes with the most greatest stress drop and strong ground motion.[10]
Damage
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;[11] only one recorded fatality (by collapse of a brick chimney) occurred, though several other buildings were damaged. Reports identify at least another four people (possibly as many as eight) as having died in the Wairarapa during the earthquake and a bridge over the Hutt River was wrecked.[1] Numerous landslides were associated with the earthquake,[12] including the harbour-side cliffs near Newlands[13][14] and numerous events along the slopes of the Rimutaka Range. Minor damage was recorded in places as far away as New Plymouth,[1] Lyttelton and Christchurch.
The uplift of the northwestern side of Wellington Harbour rendered many of the jetties in the harbour unusable, although this new area of land provided a new rail and road route to the north. Much of modern Wellington's central business district is formed by reclamations on land raised from the harbour by the event, as shown by the series of "Shoreline 1840" plaques.[15][16] At Turakirae Head the newest raised beach was formed by an uplift of 6.4 m (21 ft) in the 1855 quake.[17]
Along with other historic earthquakes in the Wellington region, the severe uplift and landslides along the coastline caused by the 1855 Wairarapa earthquake would have likely extirpated local populations of
Tsunami
The earthquake generated New Zealand's largest historical locally generated tsunami, with a maximum run-up of 10–11 m (33–36 ft).[25][26] New Zealand's National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research created an animated tsunami simulation model based on the 1855 Wairarapa event, which was screened on the television tele-drama "Aftershock".[27]
See also
- 1843 Wanganui earthquake
- 1888 North Canterbury earthquake
- List of earthquakes in New Zealand
- List of historical earthquakes
- List of historical tsunamis
References
- ^ a b c "NEW ZEALANDER". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 28 February 1855. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
- ^ M 8.2 Wairarapa Tue, Jan 23 1855. GeoNet.
- PMID 32034264.
- ^ Sibson, R.H. (2006). "Charles Lyell and the 1855 Wairarapa earthquake in New Zealand: Recognition of fault rupture accompanying an earthquake". Seismological Research Letters. 77 (3): 358–363.
- ^ Mouslopoulou, V., Nicol, A., Little, T.A. & Walsh, J.J. (2007). "Terminations of large strike-slip faults: an alternative model from New Zealand". In: Cunningham, W.D. & Mann, P (eds). Tectonics of Strike-Slip Restraining and Releasing Bends. Geological Society of London, Special Publication, 290; p. 387–415.
- ^ Van Dissen, R. & Yeats, R.S. (1991). "Hope Fault, Jordan Thrust, and uplift of the Seaward Kaikoura Range, New Zealand". Geology, 19, 393–396.
- ]
- .
- S2CID 129074978.
- PMID 32034264.
- ^ "The Earthquake of 1855", Early Wellington, 1928, Louis E. Ward
- ISBN 0-909016-87-9.
- ^ "GeoNet M 8.2 Wairarapa Tue, Jan 23 1855 - story". www.geonet.org.nz. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
- ^ "Hutt Expy". Google Maps. February 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
- ^ Jackson, Amy (2 November 2012). "How quakes shook up the shore". Stuff. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
- ^ "Massive earthquake hits southern North Island". nzhistory.govt.nz. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
- ^ Homer, Lloyd (1 March 2016). "Raised beaches, Turakirae Head". teara.govt.nz. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
- ^ S2CID 233722087.
- PMID 35582778.
- .
- hdl:10092/15095.
- S2CID 195403585.
- ^ "Kelp forests after the Kaikōura Earthquake". Science Learning Hub. 23 January 2020. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
- PMID 31711270.
- ^ "Wairarapa tsunami, 23 January 1855". GeoNet. Retrieved 15 November 2013.
- S2CID 140651446.
- ^ NIWA tsunami animation – National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research
Further reading
- McSaveney, Eileen (2 March 2009). "Historic earthquakes – The 1855 Wairarapa earthquake". Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 26 December 2011.