Story: Historic earthquakes

Extent of shaking, North Canterbury earthquake, 1 September 1888

The Modified Mercalli scale (from 1 to 12) measures earthquakes by the intensity of shaking observed. Reports from historical records and diaries have been used to compile this map showing the extent of shaking during the earthquake of 1 September 1888. From an intensity of 9 close to the epicentre at Amuri, the isoseismal lines spread outwards. Although the most severe damage was in North Canterbury, there was considerable shaking in and around Christchurch.

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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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How to cite this page:

Eileen McSaveney, 'Historic earthquakes - The 1888 North Canterbury earthquake', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/interactive/4484/extent-of-shaking-north-canterbury-earthquake-1-september-1888 (accessed 18 April 2024)

Story by Eileen McSaveney, published 12 Jun 2006, reviewed & revised 28 Mar 2011, updated 1 Nov 2017