 Hastings Post Office | |
.png)  1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake (New Zealand) | |
| UTC time | 1931-02-02 22:46:52 |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| Areas affected | Napier, Hastings, Hawkes Bay |
| Total damage | around 2000 buildings |
| Max. intensity | MMI IX (Violent)[2] |
| 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. Centred 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]
- ^ a b Webb, T.H.; Anderson, H. (1998). "Focal mechanisms of large earthquakes in the North Island of New Zealand: slip partitioning at an oblique active margin". Geophysical Journal International. 134 (1): 40–86. Bibcode:1998GeoJI.134...40W. doi:10.1046/j.1365-246x.1998.00531.x.
- ^ National Geophysical Data Center / World Data Service (NGDC/WDS) (1972). "Significant Earthquake Information". NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K.
- ^ The exact number of deaths varies according to different sources; the New Zealand Listener article cited below gives 258 deaths, but the Bateman New Zealand Encyclopedia gives 256. The difference is due to two people "missing" and presumed dead. Some articles add these two to the death toll, while others do not.
- ^ "M 7.4 Hawke's Bay Tue, Feb 3 1931". GeoNet.