Christchurch Aftershocks October 2012

Christchurch has been shaken by a series of noticeable aftershocks that kicked off with a 3.2 magnitude at 8:40pm on the 23^rd October. This was felt by many in the region with people commenting on Facebook and Twitter that it was an unwelcome reminder of the past. It was five kilometres deep and centred in the Cashmere Hills.

At 3:17am on the 24^th October, many people in the city awoke to feel the ground shaking again as a 4.0 magnitude quake struck. The sensation was described as a rolling and rattling and Geonet classed it as moderate. It was 8 kilometres deep and centred in the ocean east of New Brighton. It was followed 23 minutes later by a 3.3 aftershock.

Demolition continues in the Christchurch CBD and on the 23^rd October, the latest victim was the building that housed the Tap Room on the corner of Cashel Mall and Oxford Terrace. Shoppers in the Restart Zone paused to watch as a digger pulled chunks of brickwork and masonry apart. The Tap Room was a popular bar and restaurant and was always busy at lunchtimes with people dining outside and enjoying the view of the River Avon.

A Walk through Earthquake-Damaged CBD of Christchurch

They'll rebuild the old ruins,
   raise a new city out of the wreckage.
They'll start over on the ruined cities,
   take the rubble left behind and make it new.
Isaiah 61:4 The Message

These pictures were taken on a walk through Christchurch central on Sunday 5 August 2012. Natural disasters make international news for a week or two - but are soon forgotten or people assume the area has recovered. These pictures of Christchurch CBD, 17 months after the February 2011 earthquake show the reality. The devastation is widespread - but there are new buildings going up and people have hope for the rebuild.

Implosion of Radio Network Building in Christchurch

The Radio Network Building in Christchurch was imploded at 8am on Sunday 5 August 2012. 63 kilograms of explosives were used and the collapse took less than 8 seconds.

The building was 14 storeys high and many of the buildings surrounding it had already been demolished. It was built in 1986 but  damage from the February 2011 earthquake meant it could not be saved.

The fall was spectacular and neat and even in the late afternoon, people were milling around, photographing the remains of yet another Christchurch building.

Aerial View of Earthquake-Damaged Christchurch CBD

The following images were taken during a helicopter flight over Christchurch on Saturday 26th May 2012. They show the large gaps left by the demolition of hundreds of buildings. The red zone of the city has been inaccessible to the public since the February 22nd earthquake in 2011.

Christchurch Aftershocks 25th May 2012

Following a few days of increased seismic activity, Christchurch experienced a 5.2 aftershock at 2:44pm on the 25 May 2012. It was centred in the sea between New Brighton and Sumner at a depth of 10 kilometres. The Mercalli scale registered it as VI meaning the following: Felt by everyone. Difficult to stand. Some heavy furniture moved, some plaster falls. Chimneys may be slightly damaged. Canterbury Quake Live reported it as the 30th biggest shake since the 7.1 earthquake on the 4th September 2010. It was followed by a number of smaller shakes.

Residents felt it as a wobbling and shaking with houses creaking and rattling as the movement continued. Facebook comments included the following:

Had all the lights swaying here on the hills
Strong quake in rangiora
That rocked for ages afterwards
I am shaking, that was so scary, heck it went on for ages
Just felt that one in Ashburton

The red zone of Christchurch was shut down soon after the quake as a safety measure.

Aftershocks are predicted to continue for some years to come.

Christchurch Aftershocks on Sunday 20th May 2012

After a relatively quiet period, Christchurch and Canterbury have experienced several fair-sized aftershocks in the last few days. According to Geonet, the shakes were of the following magnitudes:

Tuesday May 15th, 1:27pm, 4.5 earthquake, 11 kilometres deep, 10 kilometres north-east of Chirstchurch
Sunday May 20th, 9:35am, 4.1 earthquake, 10 kilometres deep, 20 kilometres west of Christchurch
Sunday May 20th, 5:06pm, 4.8 earthquake, 8 kilometres deep, 20 kilometres east of Christchurch

After the Sunday shakes, Facebook was flooded with comments from locals about how the quakes had felt and concerns that two large shakes in one day may be a sign of more movement to come overnight.

Demolition continues on a daily basis across Christchurch with one of the latest casualties being the Waters Edge Apartments in Ferrymead. This seven storey structure was not popular and is probably one of the few buildings that will not be considered a great loss to Christchurch. Situated as it was on the water edge, it obstructed the view and stood out amongst the relatively low buildings in the surrounding areas. The pictures below show demolition underway on Saturday 19th May 2012. 

15th May 4.5 Aftershock in Christchurch

Geonet reported a 4.5 aftershock in Christchurch on the 15th May 2012. The shake occurred at 1:27pm and was centred in the ocean near New Brighton. Canterbury Quake Live recorded the depth as 10.39 kilometres and it measured v on the Mercalli scale. This means the quake was felt by almost everyone, some people awakened. Small objects moved. trees and poles may shake.

Locals described it as a jolt followed by an extended wobble. Facebook comments included the following:

• Well that was a good rocker
• The house is still moving
• That will have rattled a few more rocks off the cathedral

The widespread feeling was it was the biggest shake most residents had felt for several weeks.