GeoNet (New Zealand)
Sources to use:[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]
Felt reports
The website allows people to submit felt reports and describe the intensity of the shaking, and they could submit a "detailed" felt report which consists of 40 questions. After the report is submitted, a coloured square is placed on a map, at the user's location. Most people make correct submissions, although some people purposefully make false reports or make mistakes, such as a VPN causing the website to not retrieve the user's location correctly. Aucklanders have a reputation for marking small earthquakes, including ones that could not be felt in Auckland, as having "strong" or "extreme" shaking. Sometimes people try to draw images, such as a phallus.[10]
In 2023, GeoNet introduced a "shaking layers" map. Rather than showing squares at the locations of felt reports, it shows the median shaking at a given location. This includes locations where no one has submitted a felt report, and avoids showing possible false reports.[10]
Shortly after a large earthquake, Civil Defence may use the felt reports to gather information, such as power and communications outages, before the agency can gather information from other sources. An example of this is after the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake, where there was a lack of felt reports in Kaikōura, which suggested that there were outages there.[10]
Earthquakes are not the only felt reports that the website receives. It also receives reports of tsunami, with over 17,000 reports by 2020.[10]
References
- ^ "Two earthquakes at the same time confuse quake monitoring system". RNZ. 23 January 2019. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
- ^ "2023 in review". GeoNet. 15 January 2024. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
- ^ "Fake quakes rattle GeoNet reports". The New Zealand Herald. 20 September 2012. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
- ^ "GeoNet » Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake". www.naturalhazards.govt.nz. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
- ^ "Living with earthquakes". Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
- ^ "Why NZ should always be prepared for a natural disaster". Stuff. 23 January 2020. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
- ^ "History, maths and science: How GeoNet models its aftershock forecasts". Stuff. 25 November 2016. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
- ^ "GeoNet director says more staff needed for 24/7 geohazard monitoring network". Stuff. 16 November 2016. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
- ^ "GeoNet to receive funding boost to monitor earthquakes". The New Zealand Herald. 23 December 2016. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Who's the Aucklander who claims to feel every earthquake in New Zealand?". The Spinoff. 11 October 2024. Retrieved 19 October 2024.