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-   -   Massive quake moves New Zealand closer to Australia (https://www.revscene.net/forums/583417-massive-quake-moves-new-zealand-closer-australia.html)

Harvey Specter 07-22-2009 03:03 AM

Massive quake moves New Zealand closer to Australia
 
ELLINGTON (AFP) – A massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake last week has moved the south of New Zealand closer to Australia, scientists said Wednesday.

With the countries separated by the 2,250-kilometre-wide (1,400-mile-wide) Tasman Sea, the 30 centimetre (12 inch) closing of the gap in New Zealand's southwest won't make much difference.

But earthquake scientist Ken Gledhill of GNS Science said the shift illustrated the huge force of the tremor, the biggest in the world so far this year.

"Basically, New Zealand just got a little bit bigger is another way to think about it," he told AFP.

While the southwest of the South Island moved about 30 centimetres closer to Australia, the east coast of the island moved only one centimetre westwards, he said.

The biggest quake in New Zealand in 78 years caused only slight damage to buildings and property when it struck the remote southwest Fiordland region of the South Island last Thursday.

A small tsunami was generated by the earthquake, with a tide gauge on the West Coast of New Zealand recording a wave of one metre.

"For a very large earthquake, although it was very widely felt, there were very few areas that were severely shaken," Gledhill said.

Aerial inspection of the forested fiords near the quake's epicentre showed few land slips or other signs of damage.

This was partly because the type of rupture at the boundaries of the Australian and Pacific plates meant the energy from the quake was largely directed westwards towards the sea rather than inland towards the nearest towns.

The type of quake, known as a subduction thrust rupture, also meant the quake produced lower frequency shaking, felt as a rolling motion, rather than sharp jolts which would have caused more damage.

New Zealand frequently suffers earthquakes because it marks the meeting point of the Australian and Pacific continental plates.

Gledhill said the latest quake may have brought forward a major quake on the offshore section of the Alpine fault, off the coast of Fiordland in the Tasman Sea.

"There could easily be another large earthquake in another part of that region. We can't predict that obviously."

The latest quake was the biggest since February 2, 1931 when a 7.8 quake killed at least 256 people in the North Island city of Napier.

The biggest quake recorded here measured 8.2 and caused major damage in 1855 in the fledgling European settlement that later became the capital Wellington.

The latest quake was unusual in striking right on the boundary of the Australian and Pacific plates and will be important in researching earthquake hazards, Gledhill said.

Meowjin 07-22-2009 03:22 AM

im a duck oink oink

asian_XL 07-22-2009 05:43 AM

before
http://www.redpathaghort.com/contact/map.jpg

now
http://www.redpathaghort.com/contact/map.jpg

hotjoint 07-22-2009 07:11 AM

wow

BNR32_Coupe 07-22-2009 07:18 AM

north america is moving at like 3 cm per year

cho 07-22-2009 07:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by asian_XL (Post 6517627)

is it just me or did nothing change?:confused:

urrh 07-22-2009 08:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cho (Post 6517659)
is it just me or did nothing change?:confused:

:lol

Noir 07-22-2009 09:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cho (Post 6517659)
is it just me or did nothing change?:confused:

:lol

Chairman Kaga 07-22-2009 09:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cho (Post 6517659)
is it just me or did nothing change?:confused:

You are instant fucking fail

http://i26.tinypic.com/313lrir.jpg

shenmecar 07-22-2009 09:21 AM

So flights from New Zealand to Australia and vice versa are now..........0.00000042 seconds quicker?

asahai69 07-22-2009 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cho (Post 6517659)
is it just me or did nothing change?:confused:

:facepalm: x1023309520495209562045

tool001 07-22-2009 10:11 AM

all continents/land mass move a bit.. mt. everest is growing taller every year.....2inch ..


that reminds me of this

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Which_one_..._the_Himalayas

!Aznboi128 07-22-2009 10:18 AM

swt next time I go to New zealand I'll go to Australia as well as it'll save me 0.000002 seconds :D

q0192837465 07-22-2009 12:11 PM

at least no 1 died

AzNightmare 07-22-2009 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cho (Post 6517659)
is it just me or did nothing change?:confused:

Really? it's very subtle. You just have to clook closely.
Trust me, it's a lot easier to tell in real life if you took a picture from space.

sonick 07-22-2009 12:38 PM

Subduction thrust rupture... THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID.

trip 07-22-2009 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jah Al Zawahiri (Post 6517593)
the 30 centimetre (12 inch) closing of the gap in New Zealand's southwest won't make much difference.

http://www.redpathaghort.com/contact/map.jpg

Quote:

Originally Posted by cho (Post 6517659)
is it just me or did nothing change?:confused:



epic

hk20000 07-22-2009 01:12 PM

http://www.redpathaghort.com/contact/map.jpg
if you prop it in Photoshop and expand it 1,000,000 times it's off by 1 pixel. I tried it.

skyxx 07-22-2009 01:38 PM

:lol

tiger_handheld 07-22-2009 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cho (Post 6517659)
is it just me or did nothing change?:confused:


haha

snowball 07-22-2009 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tiger_handheld (Post 6517989)
haha

you don't even need to do that, both images are the same link :haha:

you 07-22-2009 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cho (Post 6517659)
is it just me or did nothing change?:confused:

:haha::haha::haha:

skyxx 07-22-2009 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gatorade (Post 6517991)
you don't even need to do that, both images are the same link :haha:

Thanks for stating it Captain Obvious. Now you ruined it!!!!

orange7 07-22-2009 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by asian_XL (Post 6517627)

Quote:

Originally Posted by cho (Post 6517659)
is it just me or did nothing change?:confused:


LOL

JesseBlue 07-22-2009 02:20 PM

:D


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