New Zealand: Earthquake! (no loss of life or major damage reported)

Offshore 7.2 Quake Felt Across South
23/11/2004 10:44 AM
NewstalkZB

People in the lower South Island are reporting an earthquake that felt as big as the major Te Anau shock from last year.

The quake struck at about 9.30 am. First indications are that it was a significant event, measuring 7.2 on the Richter Scale. It was centred several hundred kilometres offshore.

Reports have come in from a wide area, including Invercargill, Otautau and Wanaka.

It was also felt in Queenstown, Christchurch and Greymouth and was felt as far away as New Plymouth.

Source:

http://xtramsn.co.nz/news/0,,3882-3879453,00.html

Further data:

http://www.geonet.org.nz/x2326055g_l.html

My own observation: I noticed the building shaking as I was sitting on the toilet! I'm glad I work in a nice new quake-proofed building.

7.3

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqinthenews/2004/usrdbs/

although I had heard of them in Australia. All of us here in quivering California hope our Kiwi friends are well (and no major damage).

That's how you usually get islands out in the middle of the ocean. Like Japan. Or Iceland. And that means earthquakes.

... suggests NZ was part of Gondwanaland rather than being formed volcanically, though we do have quite a few active and dormant volcanoes here.

Gondwanaland
Antarctica was originally part of the 'supercontinent' of Gondwanaland - which also included the future South America, Africa, India and Australasia - which began to break up during the Jurassic era 180 million years ago. At that time, Antarctica was much further north than it is today, and was covered with forests in which dinosaurs roamed. Then, as it began to drift south, it started to freeze over.

A scientific paper written in 1904 by A G Nathorst was the first to suggest that the continent once had a subtropical climate, but it wasn't until the 1960s that the scientific community took the supercontinent theory seriously.

from:

http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/E/ends/shackleton7.html

... 'The Shaky Isles' for nothing! This is a major centre for geological activity (being part of the pacific rim after all) with plenty of earthquakes and volcanoes.