Earthquake Commission (EQC) founded 1944 funded by levy on fire insurance covers house damage up to NZ $100,000 (£50,000), plus contents up to NZ $20,000 (£10,000), and land damage under house more than 100,000 Christchurch claims from 4 September event (including more than 2000 uninhabitable houses)

Aftershocks during September / October

Aftershocks during November/December

Press, 5 March 2011

Boxing Day aftershock sequence (24 hrs recorded at McQueen’s Valley, ~ 30 km SE of Christchurch)

A largely linear pattern to the Boxing Day aftershocks - pointed to a fault running through the City (and in particular under the CBD, represented here by the black square) Press, 27 December 2010

22 February am NZT Magnitude 6.3 Depth 5km Epicentre around 5km southeast of Christchurch Human toll: 181 deaths (1 unaccounted for) Estimated financial cost: approx. NZ $15 billion

The Star, 25 February 2011 Port Hills fault - major aftershocks Feb 2011

USGS map of exposure to shaking, reproduced in New Zealand Historic Places Trust, Kia Kaha Canterbury

Maximum vertical acceleration recorded at Heathcote (about 1km from epicentre) ~ 2.2g ( a measured world record !) J Berrill, ‘Some Aspects of the M 6.3 February 22nd Earthquake’ (reproduced in the Press, 24 March 2011)

Reasons for vertical shaking intensity: 1) closeness of fault 3) focusing by Port Hills towards city 2) steep angle (65%) of fault 4) amplification by gravel layers The Star, 25 February 2011

B A Maritime Museum, Lyttelton - photo V Wood ; Lancaster Park - photo Greg Bowker, APN/The Star, Earthquake 6.3

news/image.cfm?c_id= &gallery_id=116929# Three before & after images of Gothic Christchurch Christchurch Cathedral (accessed 10 June 2011)

Durham Street Methodist Church

Canterbury Provincial Chambers Photos / Flickr user Kate's Photo Diary, Simon Baker

Churches not exposed to 1g+ vertical acceleration (e.g. St Peter’s at Riccarton) suffer much less damage - photo V Wood