A magnitude 4.9 shake—another in a recent swarm—has rattled New Zealanders, particularly Wellingtonians who feel they’re overdue for ’the big one.’
A magnitude 4.9 earthquake has shaken central New Zealand on Monday afternoon. It occurred 10 kilometres (6.21 miles) north-east of Picton at a depth of 35 kilometres, according to government monitoring body GeoNet.
Over 12,000 people reported they’d felt the quake within minutes of it occurring by posting “felt” reports on the organisation’s website.
Colloquially known as “the Shakey Isles,” New Zealand gets about 14,000 to 15,000 earthquakes a year, but the majority are too mild for most people to feel.
October has been an unsettling month, with four moderate or strong quakes felt—two on one day (Oct. 6).
Twelve of the last 18 quakes have been centred on the lower part of the North Island or upper part of the South Island, making Wellingtonians particularly nervous.
The topography of Wellington has been affected by major earthquakes in the past, with much of its current…
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