Christchurch/Canterbury Earthquake

I suppose i shouldn't've said 'interesting' in my last post.. 
but this map certainly is - i counted almost 100 events 
from the time of the first big 7.1 quake until midnight that Saturday..
..and they continued - on & on - almost all week!
That's what really started to get to people living there.

Some technical stuff (including videos):
Last 6 months in NZ including a newly visible fault-line;
What lies beneath, a story with technical follow-up - as the article says:
 "Saturday's magnitude 7.1 earthquake was centred near 
  Kirwee, approximately 44 km west of Christchurch, 
  at a depth of only 10 km. 
  So why didn't we know that this potentially 
  damaging fault existed beneath the Canterbury plains, 
  quietly building up enormous energy, so close to Christchurch?";
 Where the aftershocks hit - with a larger map;
The 16,000-year-old fault;
Surprised scientists (with an 18,000 year estimate);
Solid ground turns to mush;
You can find a lot more at SciBlogs.


I was awake & felt it down in Port Chalmers (Dunedin) - 400+ km away!
My bed swayed for quite some time & i was thinking 
'Should i get up & sit in a doorway?'
Later i learned that doorways should be avoided - under a solid table is better.

People are wary of Christchurch's CBD, here - more stories. And a twitter-blog.
There are stories here, here, & questions, & photos, more photos, 
Canterbury University, aerial shots, peoples' photos,
including the only person really seriously injured 
(there were two other fairly serious cases that i know of),
& a baby named Dianthe born during the big one.


GNS has a gallery of earthquake photos, as well as articles.
The Alpine Fault is a major geological feature.
And look at this one of the Awatere valley, in Marlborough!
GNS seismologist John Ristau said the large quake was a 
"rude wake-up call" for the rest of the country, 
especially Wellington, which lay on a major faultline.
Echoed by mayor Bob Parker.  

Other parts of NZ weren't off the hook either.

(And there's worse)