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Earthquake
Dunedin was hit by an earthquake at about 7.49pm on 9 April 1974.[3] Another earthquake struck the city a few seconds later, which was longer and stronger.[3] It was magnitude 4.9 (there is scientific debate about whether it was 4.9 or 5.0[4])[5][6] and measured VIII (Severe) or VII (Very strong) on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale (sources vary),[7][4] and had an epicentre that was offshore, about 5 kilometres south of the suburb of St Clair,[3] and had a depth of 12 kilometres.[5] This one caused power outages and chimneys to fall down,[3] and an overloaded telephone system. It was also reported to have caused broken windows and cracks in "a number" of buildings.[5] There were aftershocks at 8.20pm and 9.50pm, which a magnitude 3.7.[3][4] It took about 45 minutes for power to be restored to Corstorphine.[5] Seismologists are not entirely sure which fault the earthquake was located on.[4] It is believed to have been on the Green Island Fault, as it is the closest to the epicentre.[5][4] A peak ground acceleration of 0.27g was measured in St Clair.[4]
The Earthquake and War Damage Commission received about 3,000 damage claims,[3] and paid out about $3.5 million (in 2024 terms), which was mainly from falling chimneys and masonry,[7][8] with chimney damage being "consistent and widespread" in the "southern suburbs of the alluvium between Otago Peninsula and St Clair" according to Adams and Keans.[8] Claims also included plumbing damage interior plaster being cracked.[4][8] Damage was mostly minor.[5]
On the 50th anniversary of the earthquake an event was held, which included a short film about the earthquake, which was made by a student of Otago University.[7]
As of 1990, it is the strongest earthquake to hit Dunedin since it was founded in the 1840s.[4]
False alarms from automatic warning systems caused all of Dunedin's available fire appliances to be dispatched.[4]
Side note: 1957 earthquake (delete this later)
After the earthquake on 2 December 1957, the Otago Daily Times reported that "a rumour quickly spread that a Russian satellite had landed on St Clair beach. After receiving many telephone calls, a group of reporters hastened to investigate, but only a blank stretch of sand and the rolling ocean greeted them."[4]
References
- ^ Adams, R. D.; Kean, R. J. (30 September 1974). "The Dunedin earthquake, 9 April 1974: Part 1: seismological studies". Bulletin of the New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering. 7 (3): 115–122. doi:10.5459/bnzsee.7.3.115-122. ISSN 2324-1543.
- ^ "The Dunedin Earthquake, 9 April 1974 Part 1". New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f Gorman, Paul (14 July 2016). "Could Dunedin be hit by a large, local earthquake?". Stuff. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Gorman, Paul (26 September 2020). "The day the earth moved". The Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f "The last good shake". Otago Daily Times. 18 September 2010. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
- ^ "Magnitude 4.9, Tue Apr 9 1974 7:49 PM". GeoNet. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
- ^ a b c Littlewood, Matthew (8 April 2024). "Information event to commemorate earthquake". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
- ^ a b c "Seismic Risk in the Otago Region" (PDF). Otago Regional Council. March 2005. pp. 21–22. Retrieved 14 June 2024.