2003 Fiordland earthquake
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| UTC time | 2003-08-21 12:12:49 |
|---|---|
| ISC event | 7066570 |
| USGS-ANSS | ComCat |
| Local date | 22 August 2003 |
| Local time | 12:12 AM |
| Magnitude | 7.2 Ms |
| Depth | 12 km (7.5 mi) |
| Epicenter | 45°06′14″S 167°08′38″E / 45.104°S 167.144°E |
| Areas affected | New Zealand, South Island |
| Max. intensity | MMI VII (Very strong) |
| Casualties | None |
The 2003 Fiordland earthquake struck the remote region of
Fiordland is one of the seismically active parts of the country according to GNS seismologist Dr. Warwick Smith, as they are a relief mechanism for stresses as the Australian and Pacific tectonic plates are being forced together in the area, with the Pacific Plate subducting under the Australian Plate.[1][2]
In August 2004 there was another large earthquake of magnitude 7.1 Mw in Fiordland.[3] This was the same location as an earthquake of 6.7 Ms magnitude on 10 August 1993.[4]
Damage
At Te Anau some 70 km to the south-east residents felt the quake strongly and items fell off shelves in shops and homes.[5] Some of the pupils at Te Anau Primary School felt "weird" or "scared".[citation needed]
A team of geologists led by Ian Turnbull went to investigate and reported "landsliding on a large scale". They recorded at least 200 landslides after overflying seventy percent of central and western Fiordland.[1]
See also
References
- ^ a b Rogers 2013, p. 181,182.
- ^ Wright 2014, p. 24.
- ^ Wright 2014, p. 172.
- ^ Hicks & Campbell 1998, p. 70.
- ^ "M 7.2 Fiordland Fri, Aug 22 2003". GeoNet. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
Further reading
- Rogers, Anna (2013) [1996]. The Shaky Isles: New Zealand Earthquakes (2 ed.). Wellington: Grantham House. pp. 181, 182. ISBN 978-1-86934-119-0.
- Wright, Matthew (2014). Living on shaky ground: The science and story behind New Zealand's earthquakes. Auckland: Random House (New Zealand). p. 172. ISBN 978-1-77553-688-8.
- Hicks, Geoff; Campbell, Hamish (1998). Awesome Forces: The Natural Hazards that threaten New Zealand. Wellington: Te Papa Press. ISBN 978-0-909010-58-4.
External links
- The International Seismological Centre has a bibliography and/or authoritative data for this event.