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Kōrero: Historic earthquakes

Extent of shaking, Wairarapa earthquake, 2 August 1942

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  • Level Three:

    Felt indoors as similar to vibration from a passing truck; may not be recognised as an earthquake.

  • Level Four:

    Generally noticed indoors as a jolt, or similar to vibration from heavy traffic; glassware and crockery rattle; liquids slightly disturbed; buildings may creak.

  • Level Five:

    Generally felt indoors and outside; most sleepers wakened and a few people alarmed; small objects displaced and broken; a few windows cracked.

  • Level Six:

    Felt by all; people and animals alarmed; difficulty in walking steadily; objects fall from shelves; unstable furniture tipped over; slight damage to some masonry buildings and weak chimneys damaged.

  • Level Seven:

    General alarm; difficulty standing; car drivers may stop; unreprced stone and brick walls cracked, and some buildings damaged; unrestrained water cylinders may move and burst; small rockfalls and landslides.

VII VI V IV III WELLINGTON CHRISTCHURCH DUNEDIN Masterton  

Roll over isoseismal lines for information

On this map, isoseismal lines show the Mercalli effects (the intensity of shaking) for the earthquake of 2 August 1942. Like the earthquake of 24 June, the shaking was felt over most of New Zealand, with highest intensity in the Wairarapa.

Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi

Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Source: G. L. Downes, Atlas of isoseismal maps of New Zealand earthquakes. Lower Hutt: Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences, 1995.

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

Ngā whakaahua me ngā rauemi katoa o tēnei kōrero

Me pēnei te tohu i te whārang

Eileen McSaveney, Historic earthquakes – The 1942 Wairarapa earthquakes, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/mi/interactive/4511/extent-of-shaking-wairarapa-earthquake-2-august-1942 (accessed 4 June 2026).

He kōrero nā Eileen McSaveney, i tāngia i te 2 March 2009, updated 1 November 2017.

Comments

Taylah
18 March 2011
I am doing a project on this earthquake, it would be awesome if you gave some imformation... please :)