GeoNet

Geonet received more than 5000 felt reports from the shallow quake that hit 5km south of Te Aroha at 6.56am on Thursday. Glenda Bailey was working on the ...

“In fact, the earthquake that occurs on a fault line that is mapped before, those are generally going to be larger earthquakes, of M5.5 and above. “I thought it was just another truck that was passing by ... It caused moderate shaking and we have received over 5000 felt reports.— GeoNet (@geonet) “South Island is the opposite and most of the island is part of Pacific Plate and the Australian Plate is trying to push.” New Zealand sits on the boundary between the Australian Plate and the Pacific Plate – the North Island is part of the Australian Plate, and the Pacific Plate pushes or subducts the Australian Plate. Those are the ones that we have mapped before because you need to have a fairly big fault line and quite a bit of movement on it before we can map them.” “I wouldn’t be concerned that it could be a sign of a bigger earthquake.” “I was expecting there to be cracks in the house or courtyard, but thankfully not. “I just kind of sat up and went, well that was definitely more than a truck going past.” “It got louder and louder, and I wondered what the hell was going on. Thursday’s quake was the area’s largest shake since 2014 and a good reminder, GeoNet said, that earthquakes can happen anywhere in New Zealand so it pays to be prepared. “My son and grandchildren who were in the cow shed felt it too.