The Hawke’s Bay area has experienced several earthquakes in recent weeks, with 20 events being reported since January.
Archive for August, 2006
Earthquakes Near Hawke’s Bay
Thursday, August 31st, 2006Two Moments in Time
Wednesday, August 30th, 2006Last Monday’s funeral for Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu was one of those moments in time that make some of us focus on the passage of something we should have paid more attention to.
The Naming of Tolaga Bay
Sunday, August 27th, 2006The town of Tolaga Bay on the North Island’s eastern coast, north of Gisborne, is well-known as the home of a marvel of early 20th century engineering – its lengthy wharf.
Tolaga, as it is known to locals, is also unusual in another respect – its name.
Steady Rain Again
Saturday, August 26th, 2006Steady rain has fallen across the Wellington region since midnight, causing minor disruption.
A few roads have been closed by small landslips, the Johnsonville to Wellington railway line has closed after a passenger unit was derailed by a slip, a water reservoir in the Hutt Valley is being discharged into the Hutt River for fear it will overflow, and the Hutt River has risen due to rainfall and the reservoir spill, causing minor flooding.
Tawa Fire Service has been doing brisk business since about 10 a.m. responding to minor events around the region. Motorists on State Highway 1 face minor delays at Paekakariki due to a partial road blockage caused by the weather.
Success is a Cleft Stick
Wednesday, August 23rd, 2006Many people presume that a company that has its name enter into common usage would think that it had died and gone to heaven.
To a certain extent this is true, as brand recognition is a key component of advertising and promotional campaigns. However, there is a point at which common use of a company’s name can be come a liability.
Earthquakes Near Hawke’s Bay
Sunday, August 20th, 2006Hawke’s Bay residents felt three light earthquakes late this afternoon.
The series of events began with a magnitude 3.5 quake at 5:15 p.m., followed by a magnitude 3.7 event 5 minutes later. A third earthquake with magnitude of 3.7 struck at 5:34 p.m.
All were located 20 km south-east of Hastings at a depth of 40 km.
[Data sourced from Geonet and its contributing agencies.]
Sea-change for Scientists
Sunday, August 20th, 2006The recent public announcement that Mt Taranaki (Egmont) is expected to erupt within the next 50 years marks a sea-change for New Zealand’s geological scientists.
The announcement was made following a symposium at Massey University in Palmerston North where scientists discussed the effects that such an eruption would have on infrastructure and the economy. Mark Bebbington, of the Institute of Information Sciences and Technology at Massey’s Palmerston North campus, was specific in making the projection based on the volcano’s eruptive history.
Geological Summary for New Zealand Area, July 2006
Thursday, August 17th, 2006Earthquake activity continued at a low rate, but an increase in magnitude has been apparent. Raoul Island, White Island, Mt Ngauruhoe and Mt Ruapehu remained at Alert Level 1.
Strong Earthquake Near Tonga
Wednesday, August 16th, 2006A strong earthquake struck near Tonga just before midday today.
The magnitude 6.1 quake, which struck at 11:54 a.m., was located 110 km west of Nuku’Alofa, Tonga at a depth of 156 km.
Kermadec Earthquake Activity Continues
Tuesday, August 15th, 2006A strong, deep earthquake struck the southern Kermadec Islands just after eleven o’clock this morning, according to data released by Geonet, and may have been lightly felt in the North island.
This morning’s earthquake continues earthquake activity that has been occurring in and south of the Kermadecs since August 2nd.
Wash Day at Wellington Transmission Centre
Monday, August 14th, 2006Back in 1981, the Wellington Transmission Centre consisted largely of analogue multiplex equipment, with 4 MHz baseband systems to Auckland, Palmerston North, Nelson, Christchurch and other centres.
The transmission centre was spread across two floors of the central exchange building with telegraph systems on the first floor and the analogue multiplex equipment on the second floor.
This layout proved to be convenient on the day that the cleaners turned up to try to wash the master oscillator.
Earthquake Near Murchison
Sunday, August 13th, 2006A moderately strong earthquake struck near Murchison late this afternoon. The quake was felt widely in the upper South Island and lower North Island, according to data provided by Geonet.
The magnitude 5.9 earthquake was centred 30 km east of Murchison at a depth of 100 km. There were no immediate reports of damage from the earthquake which struck at 4:29 p.m.
A Morning for Vivaldi
Friday, August 11th, 2006I don’t usually write about music on this site, but it seems appropriate on this morning of weak summer sun as we prepare for the opening of the door to an Antarctic blast again this weekend. 😕
South Kermadec Quakes
Thursday, August 10th, 2006Two moderately-strong earthquakes struck to the south of the Kermadec Islands during the past 24 hours.
The quakes, which struck just before midday yesterday and just before dawn today, were located nearly half-way between New Zealand and Raoul Island in the Kermadec Island chain.
Vanuatu Earthquakes
Thursday, August 10th, 2006The magnitude of Tuesday’s earthquake near Vanuatu has been revised to from 6.7 to 6.8 following further analysis by US Geological Survey seismologists.
Two further quakes have occurred near Vanuatu since. A magnitude 5.0 event struck at 8:12 a.m. yesterday, followed by a magnitude 4.7 quake just over an hour later at 9:17 a.m. NZST.
[Compiled from data in USGS databases.]