Global Information2011 Christchurch earthquake information
 Damaged Catholic cathedral two months after the earthquake | |
  | |
| UTC time | 2011-02-21 23:51:42 |
|---|---|
| ISC event | 16168897 |
| USGS-ANSS | ComCat |
| Local date | 22 February 2011 |
| Local time | 12:51 p.m. NZDT |
| Magnitude | 6.2 Mw(GCMT) [2] 6.1 Mw(USGS) [1] |
| Depth | 5 km (3.1 mi) |
| Epicentre | 43°34′59″S 172°40′48″E / 43.583°S 172.680°E[1] Port Hills near Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand |
| Areas affected | New Zealand |
| Max. intensity | MMI XI (Extreme) |
| Peak acceleration | 1.51 g[3][4] |
| Tsunami | 3.5 m (11 ft) tsunami waves in the Tasman Lake, following quake-triggered glacier calving from Tasman Glacier[5][6] |
| Landslides | Sumner and Redcliffs |
| Casualties | 185 deaths[7][8] 1,500–2,000 injuries, 164 serious[9] |
A major earthquake occurred in Christchurch on Tuesday 22 February 2011 at 12:51 p.m. local time (23:51 UTC, 21 February).[2][10] The Mw6.2 (ML6.3) earthquake struck the Canterbury region in the South Island, centred 6.7 kilometres (4.2 mi) south-east of the central business district.[11] It caused widespread damage across Christchurch, killing 185 people[7][8] in New Zealand's fifth-deadliest disaster.
Christchurch's central city and eastern suburbs were badly affected, with damage to buildings and infrastructure already weakened by the magnitude 7.1 Canterbury earthquake of 4 September 2010 and its aftershocks. Significant liquefaction affected the eastern suburbs, producing around 400,000 tonnes of silt. The earthquake was felt across the South Island and parts of the lower and central North Island. While the initial quake only lasted for approximately 10 seconds, the damage was severe because of the location and shallowness of the earthquake's focus in relation to Christchurch as well as previous quake damage. Subsequent population loss saw the Christchurch main urban area fall behind the Wellington equivalent, to decrease from second- to third-most populous area in New Zealand. Adjusted for inflation, the 2010–2011 Canterbury earthquakes caused over $44.8 billion in damages, making it New Zealand's costliest natural disaster and the 21st-most-expensive disaster in history.[12][13][14]
- ^ a b "M 6.1 – South Island of New Zealand". Earthquake Hazards Program. United States Geological Survey. Archived from the original on 17 June 2019. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
- ^ a b "M 6.2 Christchurch Tue, Feb 22 2011: Technical". GeoNet. GNS Science. Archived from the original on 18 April 2019. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
- ^ Goto, Hiroyuki; Kaneko, Yoshihiro; Naguit, Muriel; Young, John (5 January 2021). "Records of Extreme Ground Accelerations during the 2011 Christchurch Earthquake Sequence Contaminated by a Nonlinear, Soil–Structure Interaction". Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America. 111 (2): 704–722. Bibcode:2021BuSSA.111..704G. doi:10.1785/0120200337. S2CID 233531749.
- ^ "Deadly Christchurch quake's record ground-shaking lower than first thought". Stuff. 15 February 2021. Archived from the original on 16 February 2021. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
- ^ "Ice breaks off glacier after Christchurch quake". ABC News. 22 February 2011. Archived from the original on 26 February 2011. Retrieved 11 March 2011.
- ^ "Earthquake causes glacier to calve". Stuff.co.nz. 23 February 2011. Archived from the original on 23 April 2011. Retrieved 11 March 2011.
- ^ a b "Official quake toll rises to 185". Stuff.co. 9 February 2012. Archived from the original on 13 March 2012. Retrieved 9 February 2012.
- ^ a b "List of deceased – Christchurch earthquake". New Zealand Police. 8 September 2011. Archived from the original on 14 June 2011. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
- ^ "Earthquake death toll reaches 113". Stuff. 25 February 2011. Archived from the original on 24 May 2012. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
- ^ "M 6.2 Christchurch Tue, Feb 22 2011: Details". GeoNet. GNS Science. Archived from the original on 18 April 2019. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
- ^ "M 6.1 – South Island of New Zealand: Regional information". Earthquake Hazards Program. United States Geological Survey. Archived from the original on 18 June 2019. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
- ^ "Christchurch rebuild to cost $10b more – Story – Politics – 3 News". 14 October 2013. Archived from the original on 14 October 2013. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
- ^ Rosanes, Mark. "New Zealand's costliest natural disasters in the past decade". www.insurancebusinessmag.com. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
- ^ "The Canterbury rebuild five years on from the Christchurch earthquake" (PDF). Reserve Bank of New Zealand. February 2016. Retrieved 5 March 2024.