Off The Record
Fears Of Tsunamis As A Massive Earthquake With A Magnitude Of 6.7 Occurs Between Australia And New Zealand
A magnitude 6.7 earthquake off the South Island of New Zealand has raised concerns about the potential for a tsunami.
Thousands of people on the mainland felt the earthquake, which occurred Tuesday at 2:42 PM (NZDT) at a depth of 12 km, roughly 160 kilometers northwest of the Snares Islands.
The National Emergency Management Agency of New Zealand advised locals to avoid beaches in the surrounding areas.
“Residents of Southland and Fiordland should stay away from beach and marine areas as strong and unusual currents may present a danger,” the alert read.
“Strong currents and surges can injure and drown people. There is a danger to swimmers, surfers, people fishing, and anyone in or near the water close to shore.”
“People in or near the sea in the following areas should move out of the water, off beaches and shore areas and away from harbours, marinas, rivers and estuaries.”
Authorities have advised locals to leave the area on their own “immediately from all places near the coast where the earthquake was felt either for longer than a minute OR was strong enough that it was hard to stand,” even though there isn’t an official evacuation alert in effect.
“In these areas a tsunami may have been generated and may arrive quickly, so evacuate immediately to the nearest high ground, out of all tsunami evacuation zones, or as far inland as possible.”
Later Tuesday night, there should be less chance of hazardous and uncommon currents.
Following the earthquake, Australia is not now at risk of tsunamis, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
According to government seismic monitor Geonet, the earthquake would have affected around 4,700 Kiwis.
Near the earthquake zone, there have been local reports of buildings swaying and furniture falling.
“We had things fall off shelf. The outdoor wooden table dancing,” a resident posted on Facebook.
A coastal sea-level gauge apparently recorded a 10-cm tsunami that lasted for 90 minutes after the earthquake in southwest Fiordland, near the southwestern corner of the South Island.
In the Puysegur Trench, a place where the Australian plate scrapes beneath the Pacific plate, the earthquake occurred close to the tectonic plate border.
The area is somewhat unknown to scientists.
“This area is actually very poorly understood,” Seismologist Dr Finn Illsley-Kemp told the NZ Herald
“There’s been far less research done here compared to other regions, leaving many unknowns about the exact tectonics – but it’s hosted some of our biggest earthquakes.”
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