Earthquakes

[Shammu]

Quake jolts Indonesia's Bali

Fri Dec 7, 6:56 AM ET

BALI, Indonesia - An earthquake on Friday rattled Indonesia's resort island of Bali, where thousands of people were gathering for a U.N. climate change conference. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

The 5.4-magnitude tremor was centered 150 miles southwest of Bali, the U.S. Geological Survey said on its Web site. It struck around 6 miles beneath the ocean floor.

The quake could be felt in Bali, where more than 10,000 people were attending a two-week conference about rising global temperatures, which scientists say could lead to severe droughts and flooding, melting ice caps and rising seas, and the extinction of animals.

The walls and floors of massive tents set up in a sprawling complex of five-star hotels shook for around 10 seconds, but officials said they did not have any reports of injuries or damage. The quake was not strong enough to trigger a tsunami warning.

Indonesia, the world's largest archipelago, is prone to seismic upheavals due to its location on the so-called Pacific "Ring of Fire," an arc of volcanos and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.

In December 2004, a massive earthquake struck off Sumatra island, triggering a tsunami that killed more than 230,000 people in a dozen countries, including 160,000 people in Indonesia's westernmost province of Aceh.

Quake jolts Indonesia's Bali

[Shammu]

God is giving these folks a warning, they should heed.........

Matthew 24:7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in place after place;

[Shammu]

This is a list of the MAG 8 quakes since 1900 for those of you wondering if earthquakes are increasing.... Very interesting facts.

hmmmm....This year kind of jumps out at you with 4 so far!!!

Date - UTC - Time Latitude Longitude Magnitude Region
1. 1902-06-11 05: 50.00 148.00 8.0 Sea of Okhotsk
2. 1903-01-04 05:07 -20.00 -175.00 8.0 Tonga
3. 1903-08-11 04:32 36.36 22.97 8.3 southern Greece
4. 1905-07-09 09:40 49.0 99.0 8.4 Mongolia
5. 1905-07-23 02:46 49.0 98.0 8.4 central Mongolia
6. 1906-01-31 15:36 1.0 -81.5 8.8 Colombia-Ecuador
7. 1906-08-17 00:40 -33.0 -72.0 8.2 Valparaiso, Chile
8. 1907-10-21 04:23 38.00 69.00 8.0 Afghanistan
9. 1908-12-12 12:08 -14.0 -78.0 8.2 off the coast of central Peru
10. 1911-06-15 14:26 28.0 130.0 8.1 Ryukyu Islands, Japan
11. 1914-05-26 14:22 -2. 137. 8.0 West New Guinea
12. 1915-05-01 05:00 47. 155. 8.0 Kurile Islands
13. 1917-05-01 18:26 -29.0 -177.0 8.0 Kermadec Islands, New Zealand
14. 1917-06-26 05:49 -15.0 -173.0 8.4 Tonga
15. 1918-08-15 12:18 5.653 123.563 8.0 Celebes Sea
16. 1918-09-07 17:16 45.5 151.5 8.2 Kuril Islands
17. 1919-04-30 07:17 -19.823 -172.215 8.2 Tonga region
18. 1920-06-05 04:21 23.5 122.0 8.0 Taiwan region
19. 1920-09-20 14:39 -20.0 168.0 8.0 Loyalty Islands
20. 1922-11-11 04:32 -28.553 -70.755 8.5 Chile-Argentina Border
21. 1923-02-03 16:01 54.0 161.0 8.5 Kamchatka
22. 1924-04-14 16:20 7.023 125.954 8.3 Mindanao, Philippines
23. 1928-06-17 03:19 16.33 -96.7 8.0 Oaxaca, Mexico
24. 1931-08-10 21:18 47.1 89.8 8.0 northern Xinjiang, China
25. 1932-06-03 10:36 19.84 -103.99 8.1 Jalisco, Mexico
26. 1933-03-02 17:31 39.22 144.62 8.4 Sanriku, Japan
27. 1934-01-15 08:43 27.55 87.09 8.1 Bihar, India
28. 1938-02-01 19:04 -5.05 131.62 8.5 Banda Sea
29. 1938-11-10 20:18 55.33 -158.37 8.2 Shumagin Islands, Alaska
30. 1939-04-30 02:55 -10.5 158.5 8.0 Solomon Islands
31. 1939-12-26 23:57 39.5 38.5 8.0 Turkey
32. 1940-05-24 16:33 -10.5 -77.0 8.2 near the Coast of central Peru
33. 1941-11-25 18:03 37.171 -18.960 8.2 Azores-Cape St. Vincent Ridge
34. 1942-08-24 22:50 -15.0 -76.0 8.2 Mato Grosso, Brazil
35. 1943-04-06 16:07 -30.75 -72.0 8.2 off the coast of Coquimbo, Chile
36. 1944-12-07 04:35 33.75 136.00 8.1 Tonankai, Japan
37. 1945-11-27 21:57 24.5 63.0 8.0 off the coast of Pakistan
38. 1946-04-01 12:28 52.75 -163.50 8.1 Unimak Islands, Alaska
39. 1946-08-04 17:51 19.25 -69.00 8.0 Dominican Republic
40. 1946-12-20 19:19 32.5 134.5 8.1 Nankaido, Japan
41. 1948-01-24 17:46 10.5 122.0 8.2 Panay, Philippines
42. 1949-08-22 04:01 53.62 -133.27 8.1 Queen Charlotte Island, B.C., Canada
43. 1950-08-15 14:09 28.5 96.5 8.6 Assam-Tibet
44. 1952-03-04 01:22 42.5 143.0 8.1 Hokkaido, Japan region
45. 1952-11-04 16:58 52.76 160.06 9.0 Kamchatka, Russia
46. 1957-03-09 14:22 51.56 -175.39 8.6 Andreanof Islands, Alaska
47. 1957-12-04 03:37 45.15 99.21 8.1 Gobi-Altai, Mongolia
48. 1958-11-06 22:58 44.329 148.623 8.3 Kuril Islands
49. 1959-05-04 07:15 53.351 159.645 8.2 near the east coast of Kamchatka
50. 1960-05-22 19:11 -38.24 -73.05 9.5 Chile
51. 1963-10-13 05:17 44.9 149.6 8.5 Kuril Islands
52. 1964-03-28 03:36 61.02 -147.65 9.2 Prince William Sound, Alaska
53. 1965-02-04 05:01 51.21 -178.50 8.7 Rat Islands, Alaska
54. 1966-10-17 21:41 -10.807 -78.684 8.1 near the coast of central Peru
55. 1968-05-16 00:49 40.903 143.346 8.2 off the east coast of Honshu, Japan
56. 1969-08-11 21:27 43.478 147.815 8.2 Kuril Islands
57. 1970-07-31 17:08 -1.49 -72.56 8.0 Colombia
58. 1971-01-10 07:17 -3.132 139.697 8.1 Papua, Indonesia
59. 1974-10-03 14:21 -12.254 -77.524 8.1 near the coast of central Peru
60. 1976-08-16 16:11 6.292 124.090 8.0 Mindanao, Philippines
61. 1977-06-22 12:08 -22.878 -175.900 8.1 Tonga region
62. 1977-08-19 06:08 -11.085 118.464 8.3 south of Sumbawa, Indonesia
63. 1979-12-12 07:59 1.598 -79.358 8.1 near the coast of Ecuador
64. 1985-03-03 22:47 -33.135 -71.871 8.0 offshore Valparaiso, Chile
65. 1985-09-19 13:17 18.190 -102.533 8.0 Michoacan, Mexico
66. 1986-05-07 22:47 51.520 -174.776 8.0 Andreanof Islands, Aleutian Islands, Alaska
67. 1989-05-23 10:54 -52.341 160.568 8.1 Macquarie Island region
68. 1994-06-09 00:33 -13.841 -67.553 8.2 La Paz, Bolivia
69. 1994-10-04 13:22 43.773 147.321 8.3 Kuril Islands
70. 1995-07-30 05:11 -23.340 -70.294 8.0 Near Coast of Northern Chile
71. 1995-10-09 15:35 19.055 -104.205 8.0 Near Coast of Jalisco, Mexico
72. 1996-02-17 05:59 -0.891 136.952 8.2 Irian Jaya region, Indonesia
73. 1998-03-25 03:12 -62.877 149.527 8.1 Balleny Islands region
74. 2000-11-16 04:54 -3.980 152.169 8.0 New Ireland region, Papua New Guinea
75. 2001-06-23 20:33 -16.264 -73.641 8.4 near the coast of southern Peru
76. 2003-09-25 19:50 41.815 143.910 8.3 Hokkaido, Japan region
77. 2004-12-23 14:59 -49.312 161.345 8.1 north of Macquarie Island
78. 2004-12-26 00:58 3.295 95.982 9.1 off the west coast of northern Sumatra
79. 2005-03-28 16:09 2.074 97.013 8.6 Northern Sumatra, Indonesia
80. 2006-11-15 11:14 46.592 153.226 8.3 Kuril Islands
81. 2007-01-13 04:23 46.243 154.524 8.1 East of the Kuril Islands
82. 2007-04-01 20:39 -8.487 156.986 8.1 Solomon Islands
83. 2007-08-15 23:40 -13.353 -76.511 8.0 Near the Coast of CentraL Peru
84. 2007-09-12 11:10 -4.521 101.370 8.4 Southern Sumatra, Indonesia

So, some of y'all may think this is just COINCIDENCE??

Frequency of Occurrence of Earthquakes

Magnitude       Average Annually
8 and higher       1 ¹
7 - 7.9          17 ²
6 - 6.9          134 ²
5 - 5.9          1319 ²
4 - 4.9          13,000
(estimated)
3 - 3.9          130,000
(estimated)
2 - 2.9          1,300,000
(estimated)

¹ Based on observations since 1900.
² Based on observations since 1990.

[nChrist]

Hello Dreamweaver,

Brother, the statistics are amazing, and I don't think they are a coincidence. If these are the last days of this Age of Grace, things will get much worse. Bible Prophecy will be fulfilled most perfectly at GOD'S Appointed time. Mankind will find out soon that ALMIGHTY GOD is the ultimate reality. The "GREAT I AM" will prove that HE'S in control, and HE always has been.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Revelation 6:1-17 NASB
Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, "Come." I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer. When He broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, "Come." And another, a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that men would slay one another; and a great sword was given to him. When He broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, "Come." I looked, and behold, a black horse; and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard something like a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, "A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine." When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, "Come." I looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth. When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also. I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; and they *said to the mountains and to the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?"

[Shammu]

Earthquake Details
Magnitude 7.6
Date-Time

* Sunday, December 09, 2007 at 07:28:24 UTC
* Sunday, December 09, 2007 at 07:28:24 PM at epicenter

Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location 26.156°S, 177.453°W
Depth 187.6 km (116.6 miles)
Region SOUTH OF THE FIJI ISLANDS
Distances 345 km (215 miles) N of Raoul Island, Kermadec Islands
600 km (370 miles) SSW of NUKU'ALOFA, Tonga
1395 km (870 miles) NE of Auckland, New Zealand
1830 km (1130 miles) NNE of WELLINGTON, New Zealand
Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 14.2 km (8.8 miles); depth +/- 34.6 km (21.5 miles)
Parameters Nst=125, Nph=125, Dmin=>999 km, Rmss=1.09 sec, Gp=108°,
M-type=body magnitude (Mb), Version=6
Source

USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)

Event ID us2007ksak

7.6 - South Of The Fiji Islands

[Shammu]

Magnitude-6.7 quake hits northern Chile

Sun Dec 16, 10:36 AM ET

SANTIAGO, Chile - A strong earthquake shook northern Chile early Sunday in the same region where a temblor killed at least two people last month, but authorities reported no new deaths or serious damage.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the magnitude-6.7 quake at 5:09 a.m. (3:09 a.m. EST) was centered 80 miles north-northeast of the port city of Antofagasta.

Electric power and telephone services were cut in several cities, but "we can say that there are no victims," said Hernan Vargas, director of the government's Emergency Bureau in the Antofagasta region. "In the city of Tocopilla, seven people were attended at a hospital, mainly for panic attacks."

Tocopilla was the most seriously damaged city in the magnitude-7.7 quake that struck the same area on Nov. 14, killing two people.

Vargas said Sunday's tremor was an aftershock of the November quake.

On Saturday afternoon, a magnitude-5.8 quake rattled central Chile, causing alarm in the capital, Santiago, but no injuries or damage.

Magnitude-6.7 quake hits northern Chile

[Shammu]

This past month, there been 8 earthquakes above mag., 6.5.

Magnitude 7.7 ANTOFAGASTA, CHILE November 14, 2007

Magnitude 6.8 PERU-ECUADOR BORDER REGION November 16, 2007

Magnitude 6.7 EASTERN NEW GUINEA REG, PAPUA NEW GUINEA November 22, 2007

Magnitude 6.5 SUMBAWA REGION, INDONESIA November 25, 2007

Magnitude 6.6 SOLOMON ISLANDS November 27, 2007

Magnitude 7.4 MARTINIQUE REGION, WINDWARD ISLANDS November 29, 2007

Magnitude 7.8 SOUTH OF THE FIJI ISLANDS December 09, 2007

Magnitude 6.7 ANTOFAGASTA, CHILE December 16, 2007

No this isn't normal.

[Soldier4Christ]

Experts warn major Israel quakes fast approaching

As if political instability and rampant insecurity in the Middle East are not worrying enough, Israeli experts are warning that a major earthquake could strike the region at any time.

Three minor quakes over the past month have served as a reminder that Israel and the West Bank sit atop one of the most sensitive fault lines in the world, where earthquakes have a history of causing havoc.

"We can say with certainty that an earthquake of a magnitude of six on the Richter scale could take place in the coming years," said Yefim Gitterman from the seismology department at the geophysical institute of Lod, near Tel Aviv.

"It can happen tomorrow or in years to come," he said. "Statistically, there is a major quake every 80 years."

Under that assessment, Israel and the Palestinian territories should brace for a major earthquake soon, as the last one happened 80 years ago, on July 11, 1927, in British mandate Palestine when 300 people were killed in Jerusalem and Jericho.

A similar quake measuring seven on the Richter scale and with an epicentre in the Hula Valley, today in northern Israel up from the Sea of Galilee, devastated the town of Safed and killed some 4,000 people in 1837.

"Stronger earthquakes of a magnitude of seven are statistically less common," Gitterman said. But that could be bad enough.

The Lod institute estimates that if a magnitude seven earthquake strikes the northern Jordan Valley or the Dead Sea, between 8,200 and 9,500 people could be killed, more than 20,000 injured and more than 20,000 left homeless.

Running north to south, the Hula Valley, the Sea of Galilee, the Jordan Valley, the Dead Sea, the Arava Desert and the Red Sea lie on what is known as the Syrian-African fault line.

Jewish historian Flavius Josephus, who saw Jerusalem fall to the invading Romans in 70 AD, also wrote that around 30,000 people perished in an earthquake whose epicentre was in the region of the Dead Sea in 31 BC.

The Lod institute, part of the infrastructure ministry, is on standby day and night to brief the Israeli authorities on the epicentre and magnitude of a powerful tremor within 10 minutes in order to mobilise an emergency response.

The Israeli home front command publishes extensive advice on how to behave in the event of an earthquake on its multi-language website, urging families to prepare emergency supplies to survive for 24 to 72 hours until help arrives.

All new homes built in Israel are equipped with bomb shelters, and the civil defence advises that those without should crouch inside a doorway or under a heavy table in the event of an earthquake, and avoid using lifts.

The website advises people to carry out drills at least twice a year to make a response in an actual event automatic.

[Soldier4Christ]

There are many earthquakes recorded in the Bible in the Israeli area. Zechariah 14 tells us of one that will split the Mount of Olives in the end times. Such an earthquake is also referred to in Isaiah, Daniel and Revelations.

[Shammu]

Magnitude 7.2 - ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA

Earthquake Details
Magnitude    7.2
Date-Time    

    * Wednesday, December 19, 2007 at 09:30:30 UTC
    * Tuesday, December 18, 2007 at 11:30:30 PM at epicenter

Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location    51.495°N, 179.473°W
Depth    56.3 km (35.0 miles)
Region    ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
Distances    

    * 200 km (124 miles) W (259°) from Adak, AK
    * 370 km (230 miles) W (260°) from Atka, AK
    * 2098 km (1304 miles) WSW (253°) from Anchorage, AK

Location Uncertainty    horizontal +/- 8.8 km (5.5 miles); depth +/- 10.9 km (6.8 miles)
Parameters    Nst=130, Nph=130, Dmin=197.9 km, Rmss=0.62 sec, Gp= 54°,
M-type=moment magnitude (Mw), Version=6
Source    

      USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)

Event ID    us2007lcaq

Magnitude 7.2 - ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA

[Shammu]

Historically, there are 14.5 earthquakes per year over magnitude 7, and it is Dec 2007 & the number just hit 18!!

http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/eq_depot/1997/1997_stats.html

http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/eq_depot/2007/2007_stats.html

only 7 happened by August in 2007, so we have had a lot of movement in 3.5 months
1. 2007 8.1 East of the Kuril Islands
2. 2007 7.5 Molucca Sea
3. 2007 7.1 Vanuatu
4. 2007 8.0 Solomon Islands
5. 01-AUG-2007-- 7.2 -- VANUATU ISLANDS
6. 2007 AUG 08 7.5 Java, Indonesia
7. 2007 AUG 15 7.5 Near Coast of Central Peru
8. 2007 7.2 Santa Cruz Islands
9. 2007 8.4 Southern Sumatra, Indonesia
10. 2007 7.9 Kepulauan Mentawai Region, Indonesia
11. 2007 7.0 Kepulauan Mentawai Region, Indonesia
12. 2007 7.4 Mariana Islands Region
13. 2007 7.4 Auckland Islands, New Zealand region
14. 2007 7.1 SOUTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA

----------------------HISTORICAL AVERAGE-----------

15. 2007 11 14 7.7 Anto***asta, Chile
16. 2007 11 29 19:00:19 14.92 -61.26 145.4 7.3 Martinique Region, Windward Islands
17. 2007 12 09 (Mb 7.6) SOUTH OF FIJI ISLANDS
18. 2007 12 19 09:30:30 51.495 -179.473 56 7.2 Andreanof Islands, Aleutian Islands, Alaska

[Shammu]

Earthquake shakes Turkish capital

Thu Dec 20, 6:43 AM ET

ANKARA, Turkey - A moderate earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.7 shook the capital of Ankara on Thursday, a Turkish seismology center said. There were no immediate reports of injuries, but the quake brought down a minaret of a village mosque.

The earthquake, which struck at the start of the Muslim Eid al-Adha festival, lasted for a few minutes, and caused apartment buildings and furniture to sway and chandeliers to fall.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake had a magnitude of 5.3.

The Istanbul-based Kandilli seismology center said the epicenter of the quake was the town of Bala, some 50 miles south of Ankara. Two aftershocks, the strongest measuring 4.0, followed the temblor. There were two smaller quakes, measuring 3.9 and 4.0, earlier in the day.

The quake demolished an abandoned house in the village of Sirapinar, near Bala, and caused some damage to about a dozen homes and barns, said Muhammed Yildirim, a local official.

Most of the villagers were outdoors sacrificing sheep for the Muslim festival and were not in any danger, Yildirim said.

In the nearby Yeniyapan village, the mosque's minaret tumbled down from the force of the jolt and some homes were also damaged in the village of Avsar, the state-run Anatolia news agency reported.

Gov. Kemal Onal said there were no immediate reports of any casualties in the quake.

"Emergency services have left for Bala to assess possible damage in the villages," Onal said.

Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, much of which lies atop the active North Anatolian fault, though they are rare in the capital.

Two devastating earthquakes killed about 18,000 people in northwestern Turkey in 1999. In 2003, a school dormitory collapsed following a 6.4-magnitude earthquake in Bingol, in southeast Turkey, killing 83 children.

Earthquake shakes Turkish capital

[Shammu]

In the nearby Yeniyapan village, the mosque's minaret tumbled down from the force of the jolt and some homes were also damaged in the village of Avsar, the state-run Anatolia news agency reported.

Not saying that this means anything, or is a warning from God, but it's interesting. At least, that this happened at the beginning of a muslim holiday and the only major damage was the minaret in the mosque. At least they won't be chanting "death to America" over this.

[Shammu]

Strong quake rattles north New Zealand

By RAY LILLEY, Associated Press Writer Thu Dec 20, 1:36 PM ET

WELLINGTON, New Zealand - A strong earthquake struck New Zealand on Thursday night, collapsing at least three older buildings in one coastal city on North Island, sparking small fires and forcing authorities to declare a state of emergency there.

Only 10 minor injuries were reported in the port city of Gisborne, which was hit hardest by the quake and suffered the most property damage, although it was felt all over the country, officials said.

The magnitude 6.8 quake, which struck at 8:55 p.m. (2:55 a.m. EST) was centered in the Hikurangi undersea trench off North Island, 25 miles below the surface, and about 30 miles southeast of Gisborne, the GNS Science geological agency reported.

The U.S. Geological Survey recorded the quake at magnitude 6.6.

The temblor did not trigger a tsunami warning at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii.

Police cordoned off a large part of Gisborne's central business district until engineers could inspect damaged buildings and ensure they were safe to enter, said senior police Sgt. Moira Brown as dawn broke Friday.

"We have got a lot of damage and are still assessing the situation," police inspector Waata Shepherd said. "Some roofs have collapsed. We are still trying to ascertain the amount of damage."

The central city area had been "locked down" because of the damage, he said.

Power lines were down in some areas, and the quake had left a huge hole in one of Gisborne's main roads, he added.

Mayor Meng Foon said the fire department put out 10 small blazes, and water and sewage systems were still working.

Callers to NewstalkZB radio said the quake sent TV sets and other appliances crashing to the floor, but that the lack of power made it difficult to assess the damage to their homes.

Gisborne District Council spokesman Vance Walker told TVOne News that three historic buildings had collapsed in the center of the city, and a damage assessment was still under way.

Ministry of Civil Defense and Emergency Management spokesman Vince Cholewa confirmed three buildings collapsed. "As far as we are aware, there are no injuries in those buildings," he said.

Jim Green, chief executive of Gisborne's Tairawhiti District Health Board, said no one had been admitted with injuries.

The National Crisis Center was activated to assist local agencies dealing with the quake's aftermath.

Vulcanologist Dr. Warwick Smith of GNS Science said the quake was not strong enough to spark a tsunami off the coast.

"My judgment call ... was that 6.8 wasn't big enough for a tsunami," he told National Radio. "The ocean floor has to either be uplifted or subside to move that water, and 6.8 isn't big enough."

One caller, who identified himself only as Brian, said his family sheltered in doorways as the quake rocked Gisborne. "That was a ride and a half. It was freaky," he said.

Murray McPhail, who lives about six miles outside Gisborne, said the quake caused waves in his swimming pool.

"Stuff came out of cupboards, bottles fell off walls, ornaments fell," McPhail told NewstalkZB. "It was pretty violent. It was certainly a decent shake."

New Zealand sits above an area of the Earth's crust where two tectonic plates are colliding. It records more than 14,000 earthquakes a year — but only about 150 of those are felt by residents and fewer than 10 do any damage.

Strong quake rattles north New Zealand

[Shammu]

Four quakes hit Alaska’s Aleutian Islands
Seismic activity begs closer look; aftershocks follow 7.2 temblor

Fri., Dec. 21, 2007

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Two significant earthquakes that shook Alaska's remote Aleutian Islands were followed Friday morning by two smaller quakes, but there were no reports of damage or injuries.

The temblors probably were aftershocks of a magnitude-7.2 quake that hit the seismically active but sparsely populated island chain Tuesday along a dynamic fault line, said geophysicist Guy Urban of the West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center.

"Maybe things are still moving around out there," he said. "The area is still settling."

The magnitude-5.9 and 6.1 quakes struck about one minute apart Thursday. They were centered about 100 miles west of Adak in the island chain, according to a preliminary report by the U.S. Geological Survey.

'Unusual' activity
"There were two tonight and that was very unusual," said geophysicist Paul Huang of the tsunami warning center. "We're going to study this a little more closely." No tsunami warning was expected, he and Urban said.

Magnitude 4.8 and 4.6 quakes struck 14 minutes apart Friday morning, Urban said. He said there have been no reports that any of the quakes this week were felt by people there.

The Aleutian Islands are a chain of more than 300 islands that extend southwestward from mainland Alaska into the northern Pacific Ocean.

The earth's most active seismic feature, the circum-Pacific seismic belt, brushes Alaska and the Aleutian Islands, where more earthquakes occur than in the other 49 U.S. states combined.

Four quakes hit Alaska’s Aleutian Islands