At press time much world media attention was focused on the devastation caused by a 6.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Christchurch, New Zealand, at about 1 pm local time on the afternoon of Tuesday, February 22, 2010. Though less powerful than the 7.1 magnitude quake that struck the same area last September, this quake was shallower (five kilometers) and centered closer to the city of Christchurch, causing massive damage. At this writing, about 15 hours after the quake, the death toll was listed at 75 people and expected to go higher with more than 300 people missing. No deaths resulted from the September quake.....
