Wild Land

Four earthquakes have been reported near Seddon in the upper South Island during June 2008.

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A southerly gale and driving rain kept many Wellingtonians indoors yesterday, Sunday the 29th of June 2008.

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A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck the Tongan islands at 9:19 this morning, Friday June 27th 2008, New Zealand time. The quake was located 200 km east-north-east of the Tongan capital Nuku’Alofa (235 km south-south-east of Neiafu in the Vava’u Group) at a depth of 20 km. The USGS reports that the depth of the event has an uncertainty of +/- 32.5 km at this stage.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre has not issued a bulletin for the event.

Geoscience Australia report the quake as magnitude 6.2 at a depth of 60 km. They calculate that damage from the quake would have occurred within 44 km of the epicentre, and the quake would have been felt up to 560 km away.

[Compiled from data supplied by the U.S. Geological Survey and its contributing agencies, and Geoscience Australia.]

Earthquake activity declined. White Island, Mt. Ngauruhoe, and Mt. Ruapehu remained at Alert Level 1.

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New Zealand’s hydro-electric storage lake levels remained low during the first fortnight of June 2008, with anticipated rain maintaining the status quo.

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Increased gas output and continued high lake temperatures at Mt. Ruapehu show that the volcano has continued to be active since its last eruption.

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White Island volcano has not reacted significantly to Friday’s nearby earthquake, and activity noted since is thought to be normal behaviour for the volcano.

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Eighty distinct aftershocks have been recorded since yesterday’s earthquake near White Island volcano.

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A moderately strong earthquake struck near White Island at 9:06 this morning, Friday the 13th of June 2008. The shallow quake has been followed by numerous aftershocks.

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A large earthquake struck to the south of the Kermadec Islands this afternoon.

The shallow magnitude 5.7 event was located 255 km south-south-west of L’Esperance Rock at a depth of 35 km. The epicentre of the quake, which struck at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday the 11th of June 2008, was 520 km south-south-west of Raoul Island, 595 km north-east of Auckland.

[Compiled from data supplied by the U.S. Geological Survey and its contributing agencies.]

Hydro lake levels plunged during May 2008, a month when inflows were dramatically low and demand consistently high.

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