Feb 10 2009 - January roundup

Operations

Keas investigating the upgraded Waka Mara (WAKA) continuous GPS site in the Southern Alps.

• Two new continuous GPS sites were installed in the Wairarapa: Battery Hill (BTHL) and Ardelve (RDLV).
• Two of the SAGENZ (Southern Alps Geodetic Experiment) sites in the Southern Alps were upgraded to GeoNet build standards: Waka Mara (WAKA) and Karangarua (KARA).
• A new seismic site Iwikau Village (IVVZ) was installed for the Department of Conservation on Mt. Ruapehu as part of the Eruption Detection System (EDS) upgrade.

Earthquakes

• The most significant earthquake of the month occurred on January 30, magnitude 4.8, 40 km west of Culverden, 7 km deep. It was felt throughout North Canterbury and Christchurch and along the West Coast.
• The preliminary locations of December's earthquakes are shown below.

Reported Landslides

Wednesday January 7

• SH 35 Tikitiki to Ruatoria, at Kemps Descent (6 km north of Ruatoria), partially blocked by a slip; road down to one lane.

Thursday January 8

• A snow and ice collapse at the terminus of the Fox Glacier killed two tourists.

Monday January 12

• Mt. Halcombe/Mt. Christie, west of the main Southern Alps divide, between the Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers, a rock and snow avalanche ran out onto a glacier head.
• A possum trapper dies after being crushed by a “rock fall” (sic - other reports said the boulder toppled) on Omarama Station, Central Otago.

Wednesday January 14

• A rolling and bouncing boulder on a 45 degree slope on Mt. Ngauruhoe struck a youth on the head, resulting in hospitalisation.

Felt earthquakes of
December 2008.

Shallow earthquakes of
December 2008.

Deep earthquakes of
December 2008.