May 7 2009 - April roundup

Last month's progress and news within the GeoNet project.

Operations
Whangaehu Hut on Mount Ruapehu.

Whangaehu Hut on Mount Ruapehu.

  • A seismometer and an air pressure sensor were installed at Whangaehu Hut (WHVZ), and sites at Far West (FWVZ) and Turoa (TRVZ) were upgraded. These are part of the Eruption Detection System (EDS) upgrade for the Department of Conservation.
  • GeoNet technicians left for Raoul Island in the Kermadec Group to install 2 tsunami gauges, a broadband seismometer, a continuous GPS station, a volcano camera, pressure and temperature sensors to monitor the lake, and a VSAT communications terminal. This work is expected to take 3 weeks.

Earthquakes

  • The most significant earthquake of the month occurred on April 8, magnitude 5.0, 40 km east of Gisborne, 20 km deep. It was mainly felt in the Gisborne region, with a few other reports from the Bay of Plenty and Hawke's Bay.
  • The preliminary locations of March's earthquakes are shown below.

Reported Landslides

Tuesday April 28

  • A slip was reported on SH 7 near the Hanmer Springs turnoff.
  • Rockfalls were reported on SH 6 north of Greymouth after rainfall that caused flooding in parts of Greymouth.
Felt earthquakes of March 2009.

Felt earthquakes of
March 2009.

Shallow earthquakes of March 2009.

Shallow earthquakes of
March 2009.

Deep earthquakes of March 2009.

Deep earthquakes of
March 2009.