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Earthquakes in New Zealand
Earthquakes happen every day in New Zealand. There are about over 14,000 earthquakes that happen in and around the country each year. Most are too small to be noticed, but between 150 and 200 are big enough to be felt.
What causes earthquakes
The earth’s crust is divided into huge sections called plates, these plates move a few centimetres every year across the surface of the planet. The plates move at the same pace that your finger nails grow!
Earthquakes are most frequent where two moving plates meet and press against each other. New Zealand sits on one of these.
Where plates collide, the earth’s crust slowly warps, and stress builds up over many years until the crust ruptures. These are called fault
lines.
Earthquakes usually occur along fault lines. Sometimes blocks of rock on either side of a fault line can quickly shift to a new position in just
a few seconds. This sudden movement sends out waves, which are felt on the surface as an earthquake.
Earthquakes happen every day in New Zealand. There are about over 14,000 earthquakes that happen in and around the country each year. Most are too small to be noticed, but between 150 and 200 are big enough to be felt.
What causes earthquakes
The earth’s crust is divided into huge sections called plates, these plates move a few centimetres every year across the surface of the planet. The plates move at the same pace that your finger nails grow!
Earthquakes are most frequent where two moving plates meet and press against each other. New Zealand sits on one of these.
Where plates collide, the earth’s crust slowly warps, and stress builds up over many years until the crust ruptures. These are called fault
lines.
Earthquakes usually occur along fault lines. Sometimes blocks of rock on either side of a fault line can quickly shift to a new position in just
a few seconds. This sudden movement sends out waves, which are felt on the surface as an earthquake.