LAND RAISED BY RECENT QUAKE

Hokitika Guardian, 3 September 1929, Page 6

LAND RAISED BY RECENT QUAKE

WHAT NEW LEVELS SHOW

GIGANTIC UPHEAVAL

The severity of an earthquake is generally gauged by the public according to the amount off damage done to buildings and to the loss, of life incurred. Adopting these criteria, the Murchison earthquake of June last was bad enough, but the latest data available on the subject show that this earthquake involved the operation of colossal forces. An area of land nearly 18 miles in length, perhaps 50 miles broad, and probably of considerable depth, was thrust up by titanic forces from below,- and has stayed up, states the “ Post.” The elevation was not of the same extent throughout, ffor the result is as if this huge block of land has been tilted up from one end, the maximum elevation being over 16ft. When the devastated area around Murchison was inspected immediately after the earthquake, it was suspected that there had been an uplift of the land, but to what extent was not ascertainable until the Public Works Department carefully took levels throughout the' area and compared them with the previous levels. * Then it was discovered wlvat a gigantic upheaval there had been, one which fairly staggers the imagination.

The work df taking the levels again was started right back at Glenhope, so as to be sure of starting on ground which had not been altered in its altitude, and the party taking th'e levels worked down from there through the Duller Gorge. For the first ten or fifi teen miles no . alteration in previous levels was discovered, but by the time Owen Junction was reached a progressive deviation from previous levels was noticeable. In six miles there was found to be a rise of 2ft. A slight drop followed, but in the vicinity of Murchison the grade of the incline df the uplifted block of land became steeper and more pronounced. At a point j.jist past the mouth of Doughboy Creek there was a rise of 10ft Gin. In the. next half mile there was a drop of Oft The height of the uplift had increased to 13ft 3in by the time O’Sullivan’s :Bridge was reached, but opposite the Mania Valley there was another marked drop. From thence onward how