Abstract
A VERY important review of New Zealand earthquakes by Dr. J. Henderson, director of the Geological Survey of New Zealand, and Mr. R. C. Hayes, acting-director of the Dominion Observatory, Wellington, New Zealand, has been issued*. Compared with other countries in which earthquakes are common, the frequency of earthquakes in New Zealand is relatively high. This is due to the occurrence of a large number of semi-destructive earthquakes and comparatively few major destructive earthquakes. During the years 1835-1934, there were 69 New Zealand earthquakes, of which 6 reached intensity 10 on the Rossi-Forel scale, 14 attained intensity 9 on the same scale, and the remainder were of smaller intensity. During the twenty years from 1921 until 1940 inclusive there has been an average of approximately 260 earthquakes felt in the islands each year, the average maximum intensity of the greatest shocks being rather more than 8 (semi-destructive) on the Rossi-Forel scale. During the year 1922 there were 1,187 earthquakes felt, but this abnormally large number was due to the Taupo earthquake swarm. The aftershocks of the Buller earthquake of June 17, 1929, also caused the total numbers in 1929 and 1930 to be greater than normal.
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EARTHQUAKES IN NEW ZEALAND. Nature 150, 554 (1942). https://doi.org/10.1038/150554a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/150554a0