Information message about the devastating earthquake in New Zealand November 13, 2016

     The devastating earthquake M=7.9 occurred on November 13, 2016 at 11:02 GMT (14:02 the Moscow time) in the South Island, New Zealand.
     Parameters of the earthquake have been determined in the Alert Service (AS) of Information Processing Center (IPC) of Geophysical Survey of RAS in Obninsk with station data obtained from digital and analog seismic stations of Russia, countries of CIS and from abroad. Alert message on this earthquake has been delivered in 39 min after registration to the Ministry of Emergency of the Russian Federation (EMERCOM).
     Preliminary processing has been done with data from 21 stations, accurate processing - with data 33 stations.
     Fig. 1 presents fragments of records obtained from digital stations Monsavu (∆ 25.3º), Tennant Creek (∆ 39.6º), Port Moresby (∆ 40.2º), Sanae (∆ 65.9º), Falkland Islands (∆ 76.1º). Fig. 2 presents fragments of records obtained from digital stations Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (∆ 93.3º), Ussuriisk (∆ 94º), Petropavlovsk Group (∆ 96.4º), Pallekele (∆ 96.6º), Kuldur (∆ 98.5º).

Figure 1
 

Figure 2
 
     IPC GS RAS also has obtained information with parameters of this event from some seismological centers, these data are given in table 1:
Table 1
NN Time in origin h-min-s (GMT) Lat degr. Lon degr. Depth km N s/st Ms/ N mb/ N I0 calc GAP Center
1 11-02-56.1 -42.73 173.03  10  33  7.9/236.7/1111-11.5 125 IPC GS RAS (Accurate)
2 11-02-57.0 -42.78 173.13  10  21   6.9/39.5-10  IPC GS RAS (Preliminary)
3 11-02-58.3 -42.7 172.99  10  213  Mw 7.9   69 CSEM
4 11-02-56.9 -42.76 173.08  23  27  Mw 7.8   143 NEIC
  • IPC GS RAS - Informational Processing Center, Geophysical Survey, Russian Academy of Sciences
  • CSEM - European - Mediterranean seismological center
  • NEIC - National Earthquakes Information Center of US Geological Service
  • Epicenter
         Fig. 3 presents with red star the epicenter of this earthquake, its origin was located in the South Island, New Zealand, at a depth of 10 km, 94 km N-E of Christchurch, 152 km W-S-W of Greymouth and 215 km S-W of Wellington, the nation's capital.

    Figure 3
    Aftershock
         GS RAS registered 19 aftershocks M>=5.1 within 20 hours after the main shock.
    N Date   &   Time (GMT)
    yy-mm-dd hh:mm:sec
    Lat
    degr.
    Lon
    degr.
    Depth
    km
    N
    station
    Ms/ N mb/ N Io
    calc.
    Region
    201640052016-11-13 11:12:38.0-42.28173.711012-5.9/ 67.5-8 South Island, New Zealand
    201640022016-11-13 11:32:06.0-42.23173.3110257.2/ 176.4/ 710-10.5 South Island, New Zealand
    201640032016-11-13 11:41:46.0-41.65174.191027-5.9/ 97.5-8 Cook Strait, New Zealand
    201640042016-11-13 11:52:41.0-42.03173.851026-5.9/ 77.5-8 South Island, New Zealand
    201640112016-11-13 12:25:53.0-42.61172.841014-5.2/ 55.5-6 South Island, New Zealand
    201640202016-11-13 12:37:40.0-41.95173.361015-5.1/ 95.5-6 South Island, New Zealand
    201640232016-11-13 12:38:35.0-41.69174.031019-5.3/ 106-6.5 Cook Strait, New Zealand
    201640002016-11-13 13:21:13.0-41.85173.921025-5.4/ 86-6.5 South Island, New Zealand
    201640182016-11-13 13:31:27.0-42.06173.591021-5.8/ 57-7.5 South Island, New Zealand
    201640242016-11-13 13:49:57.0-41.75174.091016-5.2/ 65.5-6 Cook Strait, New Zealand
    201640192016-11-13 17:17:38.0-42.27173.921015-5.3/ 56-6.5 South Island, New Zealand
    201640072016-11-13 18:59:06.0-42.17174.131020-5.4/ 76-6.5 Off e. coast of S. Island, N.Z.
    201640082016-11-13 19:28:58.0-42.11173.751020-5.3/ 86-6.5 South Island, New Zealand
    201640122016-11-13 23:49:09.0-41.68174.321011-5.2/ 55.5-6 Cook Strait, New Zealand
    201640132016-11-14 00:34:22.0-42.41173.3210206.3/ 166.1/ 78.5-9 South Island, New Zealand
    201640252016-11-14 01:28:18.0-42173.831028-5.3/ 136-6.5 South Island, New Zealand
    201640262016-11-14 01:30:11.0-42.26173.81023-5.5/ 86.5-7 South Island, New Zealand
    201640212016-11-14 06:47:50.0-42.38173.8610245.5/ 125.9/ 97.5-8 South Island, New Zealand
    201640222016-11-14 07:21:02.0-41.75174.251015-5.3/ 56-6.5 Cook Strait, New Zealand
    Macroseismic manifestations
         According to ITAR-TASS, 2 persons were killed by the earthquake. Buildings and bridges on the east coast of the South Island were seriously damaged (Fig. 4). The earthquake triggered a tsunami in the area of Wellington, Kaslpoynt the wave height reached 2.49 m., this is the maximum for the last 38 years. Dam was broken on the Clarence River, a powerful stream of water rushed down the river. Fig. 5 was obtained from USGS NEIC, it presents USGS Community Internet Intensity Map based on 604 responses from 110 cities.

    Figure 4

    Figure 5
    Historical records
         The epicenter was located 145 km NE of the epicenter of destructive earthquake of September 3, 2010 М=7.1 and 108 km N-N-E of the epicenter of the strong earthquake of February 21, 2011 M=6.3.
    Focal mechanism and seismic moment of the earthquake
         Fig. 6, 7 present focal mechanism solutions obtained in USGS NEIC with W-phase Moment Tensor (Mww) technique and in Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Global CMT Columbia University, USA (LDEO GCMT) with СМТ (Centroid moment tensor) technique. Both solutions are close. The earthquake has occurred under the action of compression stresses striking to the east. Both nodal planes strike north-north-east nearly along the meredian, one of them is steeply dipping (DP=61-71º), another is more flat (DP=33-38º). The type of motion along steeply dipping plane – reverse fault with insignificant latteral component, for more flat plane it was shift-thrust according to NEIC and left latteral shift with a thrust component for GCMT. According to USGS NEIC – Mo=7.040*10**20 N*m, Mw=7.8; according to LDEO GCMT – Mo=6.71*10**20 N*m, Mw=7.8.
    Table 2
    Axes of main strengths Nodal planes Center
    T P N NP1 NP2
    Pl Azm Pl Azm Pl Azm Stk Dp Slip Stk Dp Slip
    6421912103 22821938128354 6164NEIC
    562232199 2635822633143349 7163GCMT
  • NEIC - National Earthquakes Information Center of US Geological Service
  • GCMT - Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Global CMT Columbia University, USA

  • Figure 6

    Figure 7


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