User:Panamitsu/sandbox
Sources:[1]
Earthquake
Dunedin was hit by an earthquake at about 7.49pm on 9 April 1974.[2] Another earthquake struck the city a few seconds later, which was longer and stronger.[2] It was magnitude 4.9 (there is scientific debate about whether it was 4.9 or 5.0[3])[4][5] and measured VIII (Severe) or VII (Very strong) on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale (sources vary),[6][3] and had an epicentre that was offshore, about 5 kilometres south of the suburb of St Clair,[2] and had a depth of 12 or 20 kilometres (sources vary).[4][7] This one caused power outages and chimneys to fall down,[2] and an overloaded telephone system. It was also reported to have caused broken windows and cracks in "a number" of buildings.[4] There were aftershocks at 8.20pm and 9.50pm, which a magnitude 3.7.[2][3] It took about 45 minutes for power to be restored to Corstorphine.[4] Seismologists are not entirely sure which fault the earthquake was located on.[3] It is believed to have been on the Green Island Fault, as it is the closest to the epicentre.[4][3] A peak ground acceleration of 0.27g was measured in St Clair.[3]
The Earthquake and War Damage Commission received about 3,000 damage claims,[2] and paid out about $3.5 million (in 2024 terms), which was mainly from falling chimneys and masonry,[6][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, and occurred throughout the rest of the city but in lower numbers.[8] Claims also included plumbing damage interior plaster being cracked.[3][8] Bricks fell out of Knox Church.[3] Damage was mostly minor.[4]
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.[6]
As of 1990, it is the strongest earthquake to hit Dunedin since it was founded in the 1840s.[3]
False alarms from automatic warning systems caused all of Dunedin's available fire appliances to be dispatched.[3]
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."[3]
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.
- ^ 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 k 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.
- ^ "The Dunedin Earthquake, 9 April 1974 Part 1". New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering. 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.
External links
- Map of damage in shops by GNS Science