The South Island of New Zealand was awoken by a rather powerful earthquake which measured 7.8 in magnitude. The New Zealand South Island Earthquake struck just after midnight Monday morning killing claiming two lives. As the New Zealand South Island Earthquake happened, it is believed that it could trigger series of tremors, potentially as large in countries surrounding the Pacific Ring of Fire.
According to CNN, the New Zealand South Island Earthquake hit the coastal community of Kaikoura which is 55 miles northeast of the city of Christchurch. The tremor triggered waves measuring 8 feet above usual tide levels. This is considered the highest New Zealand has ever seen in the last 38 years.
The initial tsunami warning in connection to the New Zealand South Island Earthquake was eventually lifted but series of aftershocks were recorded. Those were not as strong as the initial occurrence but still is considered strong, going over magnitude 6. A 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck 39 kilometers west-southwest of Kaikoura.
Several aftershocks following the New Zealand South Island Earthquake happened even extending to Wellington, the country's capital in the north. This made the government issued a warning by asking residents to stay home and be safe.
It also has been reported that small earthquakes in magnitude happened in the entire country of New Zealand in a span of three months. Though small earthquakes are typically natural especially in the countries belonging to the Pacific Ring of Fire, a 7.8 magnitude recorded in New Zealand South Island Earthquake may be cause for alarm.
New Zealand alongside other countries like Japan, Philippines, Indonesia, West Coast USA, Mexico, Ecuador down to Chile belong to the Pacific Ring of Fire. As shared by Express, it is believed that 90 percent of all strong earthquakes originate and occur along the ring that covers several tectonic plates.
With the series of tectonic plates covered by the Pacific Ring of Fire, with the New Zealand South Island Earthquake as a result of its movement, other interconnected plates may also be triggered from this recent movement.
It is suspected that another earthquake may soon happen in countries surrounding the 25,000 mile stretch of the Pacific Ring of Fire. It is then normal to always be prepared at all times such that earthquake occurrences still remain undetected and unpredictable.
