The Second Blow

Another earthquake in Christchurch has occured and have killed 90 people. It is very sad as it has damaged churches, schools, hotels, workplaces and have split roads in half. Quite a few of the citizens have tried to leave but are being told to return home if possible. Buildings have collapsed and trapped many people underneath rubble and concrete walls causing unconsciousness. It has become an International rescue effort, specialists from Japan are being sent over.
The hospitals in Christchurch are full of injured citizens. Some are being rushed to Auckland City and StarShip Hospital. Lyttleton is where the Epicenter is. My family and I are going to pray, and if you are the praying type please help, and pray for Christchurch.

Drop, Cover and Hold!

Drop, Cover and Hold! Those are the three steps that you would do during an earthquake. Today is one of those days. As our students are calling it, Disaster Day has turned out to be exactly what it has been named. We've had to quickly crawl under our tables. Yesterday, I, Toreka, just witnessed my first earthquake(s) Toreka, 10 year old reporter,is out.

The Interview

This morning, we had a video conference with one of New Zealand's geologists.  Well actually, a world famous geologist!  His name is Hamish Campbell.  He has a gift of explaining words that kids my age don't understand. 

While preparing for this event, we made seismometers.  In my group was Seini-Mino and Mubasshira.  A seismometer is a machine that records how big the energy was that was sent from the epicenter.

The last time we had an interview with him, we were talking about dinosaurs. Hamish told us that Joan Wiffen, the famous paleontologist had passed away.  She was truly an inspiration.  He even got to go to her funeral to represent Te-Papa. How cool!

 Back to our discussions about the earthquake.  He told us that it was amazing because the Australian plate went underneath the Pacific plate.  When he showed us with his own hands it looked as if the plate had dived!  

He told us all about an earthquake in 1976 which happened to be in Tangshan China.  He explained to us that earthquakes are so quick that 242, 000 people died when the earthquake was only 15 seconds! I was amazed because, in Fiordland the earthquake lasted 30 seconds and no one died!

 

Thank you Diana-Grace and Hamish Campbell for the interview!  We really enjoyed it.