Earthquakes are one of those phenomenon that occur and immediately elicit sympathy and empathy from those watching on TV. But they seem like they’re a semi-irregular occurrence, taking place maybe twice a year. At least, that would appear to be the situation if we were directed solely by TV news.
In New Zealand, earthquakes are simply a part of the fabric of society.
GeoNet – a project to build and operate a modern geological hazard monitoring system in New Zealand, according to the website – states that New Zealand is hit with around 15,000 earthquakes in and around the country each year. Most of them are small, but around 250 are big enough to be felt.
The images below show just an inkling of what New Zealanders deal with every year.
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- The pattern of deep earthquakes in New Zealand.
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- The distribution of New Zealand earthquakes and the boundary of the Pacific and Australian tectonic plates.
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- The pattern of shallow earthquakes in New Zealand.
Data and graphics from GeoNet
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Joshua S Hill
I'm a Christian, a nerd, a geek, a liberal left-winger, and believe that we're pretty quickly directing planet-Earth into hell in a handbasket! I’m a 27-year-old author and writer from Melbourne, Australia. My first book is in the "looking for an agent" phase right now while I write my second. I also review fantasy books over at Fantasy Book Review (.co.uk). I love words with a passion, both creating them and reading them.
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