1931 Te Matau-a-Māui (Hawkes Bay) Earthquake | |
UTC time | 1931-02-02 22:46:52 |
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ISC event | 906607 |
USGS-ANSS | ComCat |
Local date | 3 February 1931 |
Local time | 10:46:52 NZDT |
Duration | 2:20 seconds |
Magnitude | 7.8 Ms 7.7 Mw[1] |
Depth | 14 km (8.7 mi) |
Epicentre | 39°18′S 177°00′E / 39.3°S 177.0°E |
Fault | "thought to have occurred on one of the larger thrust faults within the accretionary wedge" |
Areas affected | Napier, Hastings, Hawkes Bay |
Total damage | NZD $823 million |
Max. intensity | MMI IX (Violent)[2] |
Foreshocks | At the end of February, 597 |
Aftershocks | In two weeks, 525 |
Casualties | 256 dead, thousands injured |
The 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake, also known as the Napier earthquake, occurred in New Zealand at 10:47 am on 3 February, killing 256,[3] injuring thousands and devastating the Hawke's Bay region. It remains New Zealand's deadliest natural disaster. Centre 15 km north of Napier, it lasted for two and a half minutes and had a magnitude of 7.8 Ms (7.7 Mw).[1] There were 525 aftershocks recorded in the following two weeks, with 597 being recorded by the end of February. The main shock could be felt in much of New Zealand, with reliable reports coming in from as far south as Timaru, on the east coast of the South Island.[4]