Shaky Isles facts for kids

The Shaky Isles or Shaky Islands is a fun nickname for New Zealand. People use this name because New Zealand often has earthquakes. It's like the ground is always wiggling! This nickname used to be common in New Zealand. Now, it's mostly heard in Australia.

New Zealand sits on the edge of two huge pieces of Earth's crust. These are called tectonic plates. They are the Pacific Plate and the Indo-Australian Plate. These plates are always moving and pushing against each other. This movement causes the ground to shake. Earthquakes happen a lot, especially in the southwest of the South Island. They are also common in the central North Island. The North Island also has many active and sleeping volcanoes.

The name "Shaky Isles" is usually a joke. It's not meant to be mean. New Zealand has over 14,000 earthquakes every year. But only about 150 of them are strong enough to be felt. Kids in New Zealand schools often practice earthquake drills. This helps them know what to do if the ground starts to shake.

Major Earthquakes in Recent Years

New Zealand has experienced several important earthquakes recently. These events show how powerful nature can be. They also highlight New Zealand's strong building rules.

Christchurch Earthquake: September 2010

On 4 September 2010, a big earthquake hit near Christchurch. This city was New Zealand's second largest at the time. The quake had a magnitude of 7.1. Many buildings were damaged. But luckily, no one died. This was because of New Zealand's building rules. Also, the quake hit at 4:35 AM when most people were asleep. Its epicenter was about 40 kilometers from the city.

Christchurch Earthquake: February 2011

Another earthquake struck Christchurch on 22 February 2011. This one was magnitude 6.3. It caused much more damage. Sadly, 181 people died. This quake hit around lunchtime. It was also closer to the city, near Lyttelton. The quake was also shallower. These reasons explain why it caused so much destruction.

Cook Strait Earthquake: July 2013

On 21 July 2013, a magnitude 6.5 earthquake happened. It struck in the Cook Strait. This is near the town of Seddon. It caused some damage in Wellington, New Zealand's capital. A strong foreshock of magnitude 5.7 happened before it.

Lake Grassmere Earthquake: August 2013

A month later, on 16 August 2013, another quake hit. This magnitude 6.6 earthquake was near Lake Grassmere. This area is in the Marlborough Region of the South Island. It caused even more damage to Seddon. These two quakes are seen as a "doublet." This means they are two strong quakes happening close together.

East Cape Earthquake: September 2016

On 2 September 2016, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake occurred. It was off East Cape, near Te Araroa on the North Island. Damage was mostly in towns close to where the quake started. About 255 claims for damage were made.

Kaikoura Earthquake: November 2016

A very strong earthquake hit on 14 November 2016. It was a magnitude 7.8 quake. It struck near Culverden and Kaikoura in the North Canterbury area of the South Island. Two people died. There was a lot of damage along the East Coast of central New Zealand. This stretched from Christchurch all the way to Wellington. In some places near Kaikoura, the seabed was lifted up 2.5 meters!