Investigative Mini-Homework #2: Earthquakes in New Zealand


Your second mini-homework will involve an investigation into the recent M7.0 earthquake that struck the South Island of New Zealand, causing a large amount of damage to the city of Christchurch and surrounding towns on the Canterbury Plain.

The USGS report of this event can be found at:
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/us2010atbj.php

Your goal is to provide a summary of the details of this specific earthquake event. Your summary should include information on the earthquake location, magnitude, intensity, focal depth, fault type, aftershocks, deaths or injuries, and damage to infrastructure. Then, you should place this into the broader context of earthquakes in New Zealand, addressing the following questions: (1) why is New Zealand prone to earthquakes? (2) Although Christchurch has not experienced an earthquake in recent times, should the residents of this city have been concerned about the potential for earthquake hazards affecting the city?

Your response must be submitted using Blackboard. Please make sure you address all the questions posed above, organized in an easy-to-read manner in your response. Also, you MUST include a citation list at the end of your response in which you list all your sources of information (including website URLs).

This mini-homework will be worth 10 points.

DUE DATE: Midnight on Friday, September 10th.


Remember: Investigative mini-homework assignments require you to investigate an assigned topic using any means at your disposal. You must cite the sources of all information. No written report is handed in for a mini-homework; however, there will be some sort of product to demonstrate that you have completed the homework (usually submitted using Blackboard). Mini-homeworks cannot be handed in late.




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