The Modified Mercalli scale (from 1 to 12) measures earthquakes by the intensity of shaking observed. Reports from historical records and diaries were used to compile this map, which shows the extent of shaking from the Wairarapa earthquake of 1942. From an intensity of 8 at the epicentre near Masterton, the isoseismal lines spread outwards. Shaking was felt as far afield as Auckland in the north and Dunedin in the south.
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Source: G. L. Downes, Atlas of isoseismal maps of New Zealand earthquakes. Lower Hutt: Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences, 1995.
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