6.3 magnitude earthquake strikes North Island of New Zealand

December 7, 2012 – NEW ZEALAND – An earthquake of preliminary magnitude 6.3 struck New Zealand’s North Island today, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The temblor’s epicenter was 12 miles (19 km) southeast of the town of Tokoroa and 214 miles (345 km) north-northeast of the capital Wellington. It originated 103 miles (167 km) deep and struck at 7:19 a.m. local time Saturday (1819 UTC Friday), the USGS reports. Earthquakes of this size can cause significant damage, especially with poorly built structures. Even well designed buildings can be damaged or, in some cases, destroyed depending on the severity of the quake and a building’s proximity to the epicenter. Earthquakes of this size are sometimes followed by significant aftershocks. Amber, who is based in Hawke’s Bay, said her kids rolled a marble down the hallway, so she assumed the piles had moved as well as the house. Peter Fraser, based in Belmont Hills in Wellington, said it felt like a digger had gone past the house, and Laurel Baird, in nearby Tawa, said it felt like a huge truck at first, but then got “louder and louder.” It was then, “the rolling began. It felt like a long time,” Baird said. The quake wasn’t described as violent, but people have said beds shook against walls, some ornaments fell from shelves and they were frustrated at being awake – having hoped for a Saturday sleep in. –Live Science