We could skip nz and just call it Mini-Japan, but for one unique thing. It has a ripped-off slab of continent to bugger things up. That's right, the lost continent of Zealandia. It's full of mermen and ancient civilizations (Stop the fantasy!). Ok, nothing interesting down there.
Except it is the home of my favourite earthquake zone - The Christchurch Basin! Remember, we talked about 'learning earthquakes'? This is one of the best, except nobody learned anything, because earthquakes are so institutionalized that to learn something new is to admit failure with the old.
I loved this earthquake. They had a policy to just give money to victims, so they all buggered off to Australia. Does anybody live there anymore? They did so many things wrong, and now it doesn't matter, because they did it all again for Phil and Ven.
Phil is a twin to this earthquake, and we will get the 'double tap' as well. The earthquakes line the basin, and mountains go up and the basin goes down. I think it is a giant sag pond caused by the shear of Zealandia, but who knows? Just like Phil, it's deadliness was caused by a long return period. They used to have beautiful old brick houses. For me, the most famous learning experience was their one office tower which was 'cleared' by the old farts, and then collapsed with the second tap. I learned a lot, nobody else did.
We are going to get lots of these, now that the Ring is alive again (fantasy!).
- next, up the other side - Chile!
ps - we're finally into summer. Writing will stop unless somebody totally different buys me some coffee. Too bad that Chile is the most significant non-learning earthquake of all! (stupid teaser).
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