Christchurch Flashcards
When
2011
Christchurch context
2nd largest in New Zealand, perception a major earthquake was unlikely
Plate boundary
North of South Island has Pacific plate subducting beneath Australian and vice versa in South in continental convergence, 20,000 earthquakes annually but only 250 felt
Earthquake magnitude
6.3 Mw
Earthquake focus
Shallow as 4km deep fault line
Where was the epicentre
10km SE of central business district
Liquefaction
400,000 tonnes of silt
Rockfalls
Summer and Redcliffs area and Port Hills
Effects compared to earlier earthquake
2010, 7.1 Mw, no collapses or deaths
Government response
Declared state of national emergency next day, no entry to central business district until 2013 for some
How long did it take to get power back
75% after 3 days - water and sewage took until august
How much international aid
$6-7m
What international support workers
300+ Australian police
Long-term response
10,000 affordable homes built, Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority made, 2017 Manawa Canterbury Earthquake National Memorial
How many deaths
185
What was the cost
$28b
How much of the population migrated
20%
How long predicted for economic recovery
50-100y
What was cancelled due to this
5 Rugby World Cup matches
Environmental impacts
Liquefaction silt polluted 40% Avon-Heathcote estuary, damaged whitebait spawning areas, estuary shellfish has high bacteria concentration from faecal matter
Political impacts
2016 Greater Christchurch Regeneration Bill and 2020 amendment to support regeneration
Monitoring
Hundreds of seismometers and data sent to Avalon and Hamilton centres
Resistance
Many buildings: base isolation, flexible steel beams, jolt proof buildings, cardboard cathedral
