  Christchurch Wellington  | |
| UTC time | 2010-09-03 16:35:46 |
|---|---|
| ISC event | 15155483 |
| USGS-ANSS | ComCat |
| Local date | 4 September 2010 (2010-09-04) |
| Local time | 04:35NZST |
| Magnitude | 7.1Mw[1][2] |
| Depth | 10 km (6.2 mi)[2] |
| Epicenter | 43°33′S172°11′E /43.55°S 172.18°E /-43.55; 172.18 nearDarfield,Canterbury |
| Areas affected | New Zealand |
| Max. intensity | X (Extreme)[3] |
| Peak acceleration | 1.26g |
| Aftershocks | ~17,600 (as of early August 2016)[4] |
| Casualties | 2 seriously injured, approximately 100 total injuries[5] |
The2010 Canterbury earthquake was a powerful 7.1magnitudeearthquake,[1][2] which struck theSouth Island ofNew Zealand at 4:35 am September 4, 2010local time (16:35 3 SeptemberUTC).[1] It was centred 40 km west of Christchurch, near the town of Darfield, at a depth of 10 km.[1] Strongaftershocks were reported,[5][6] including ones of magnitude 5.3.[7][8] The main quake was felt widely across the South Island, and in theNorth Island as far north asNew Plymouth.[9]
It caused a lot of damage and cut off power and water supply, mainly in the city ofChristchurch.[5][10] Two people were seriously injured.[5] The quake caused damage to historic buildings inLyttelton, near Christchurch, including a church and parts of a hotel. Businesses in the city centre were closed the day of the quake.[11] The total cost of damages may be as high asNZ$2 billion.[5]
Astate of emergency was declared by Civil Defence forChristchurch and theSelwyn District.[12]
New Zealand sits on theboundary between theAustralian andPacific plates. In the South Island, these plates mainly slide past each other horizontally, producing earthquakes alongfault lines such as theAlpine fault. The 2010 earthquake was centred about 80–90 km to the southeast of the plate boundary through the island, probably on one of a network of smaller faults linked to the main faults that mark the plate boundary itself.[13]
