.png)  | |
| Local date | 23 January 1855 |
|---|---|
| Local time | 21:00 |
| Magnitude | 8.2 Mw |
| Depth | 33 km |
| Epicentre | 41°12′S 175°12′E / 41.20°S 175.20°E |
| Areas affected | New Zealand, North Island |
| Casualties | 7–9 deaths |
The 1855 Wairarapa earthquake occurred on 23 January at about 9.17 p.m.,[1] affecting much of the Cook Strait area of New Zealand, including Marlborough in the South Island and Wellington and the Wairarapa in the North Island. In Wellington, close to the epicentre, shaking lasted for at least 50 seconds. The moment magnitude of the earthquake has been estimated as 8.2, the most powerful recorded in New Zealand since systematic European colonisation began in 1840.[2] This earthquake was associated with the largest directly observed movement on a strike-slip fault, maximum 18 metres (59 ft). This was later revised upward to about 20 m (66 ft) slip, with a local peak of 8 m (26 ft) vertical displacement on lidar studies.[3] It has been suggested that the surface rupture formed by this event helped influence Charles Lyell to link earthquakes with rapid movement on faults.[4]
- ^ "NEW ZEALANDER". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 28 February 1855. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
- ^ M 8.2 Wairarapa Tue, Jan 23 1855. GeoNet.
- ^ Manighetti, I; Perrin, C; Gaudemer, Y; Dominguez, S; Stewart, N; Malavieille, J; Garambois, S (2020). "Repeated giant earthquakes on the Wairarapa fault, New Zealand, revealed by Lidar-based paleoseismology". Scientific Reports. 10 (2124): 2124. Bibcode:2020NatSR..10.2124M. doi:10.1038/s41598-020-59229-3. PMC 7005692. PMID 32034264.
- ^ Sibson, R.H. (2006). "Charles Lyell and the 1855 Wairarapa earthquake in New Zealand: Recognition of fault rupture accompanying an earthquake". Seismological Research Letters. 77 (3): 358–363.