Tag Archives: seismic hazard

Update: Christchurch aftershocks

Posted on June 27, 2011 by Chris Rowan

As the aftershocks of the Darfield quake continue, where do the future seismic dangers lie? Continue reading →

Categories: earthquakes, geohazards, tectonics

If you’re waiting for an earthquake warning, you’re doing it wrong

Posted on June 3, 2011 by Chris Rowan

The magnitude 6.3 earthquake that stuck central Italy near the city of L’Aquila in April 2009 killed more than 300 people, made tens of thousands more homeless, and caused billions of Euros’ worth of damage. No-one could have predicted exactly … Continue reading →

Categories: earthquakes, geohazards, public science, ranting, society

How to (and how not to) talk about earthquake hazards in the media

Posted on March 22, 2011 by Chris Rowan

Susan Hough: take a bow. Simon Winchester: don’t. Continue reading →

Categories: earthquakes, geohazards, public science, ranting

Aftershocks, triggered earthquakes, and Christchurch’s seismic future

Posted on February 26, 2011 by Chris Rowan

As more scientific information becomes available regarding last week’s magnitude 6.3 earthquake in Christchurch, we can look a bit more closely at the nature of this earthquake, how it fits into the overall tectonic picture in New Zealand, and future … Continue reading →

Categories: earthquakes, geohazards, society, tectonics

All quiet on the Alpine Fault?

Posted on September 14, 2010 by Chris Rowan

The Alpine fault has not ruptured since European settlement in the 1840s. Paleoseismology tells us that this is the longest it has gone in a millenium without generating a magnitude 8+ earthquake. Continue reading →

Categories: earthquakes, geohazards, geology, geomorphology, tectonics