1848 Marlborough earthquake

1848 Marlborough earthquake
1848 Marlborough earthquake is located in New Zealand
1848 Marlborough earthquake
UTC time1848-10-16
Local date16 October 1848 (1848-10-16)
MagnitudeMw7.5
Depthshallow
Epicentre41°48′S 173°42′E / 41.800°S 173.700°E / -41.800; 173.700
Areas affectedNew Zealand, Marlborough, South Island
Casualties3 deaths

The 1848 Marlborough earthquake was a 7.5 (Mw) earthquake that occurred at 1:40 a.m. on 16 October 1848 and whose epicentre was in the Marlborough region of the South Island of New Zealand.[1]

In Wellington, the shaking lasted for about two minutes and caused widespread damage, especially to brick or stone structures. Most of the buildings damaged in the earthquake were rebuilt in wood[2] and this contributed to the relatively low level of damage and loss of life in the more powerful Wairarapa earthquake that hit Wellington seven years later.

  1. ^ "GeoNet – Quakes". Retrieved 22 November 2016.
  2. ^ McSaveney, Eileen (16 November 2016). "Historic earthquakes – The 1848 Marlborough earthquake". Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 21 November 2016.