The Big Bangs

[Rogue]

Mystery bangs and shaking in Auckland
IAN STEWARD
Last updated 22:19 18/06/2014


A series of mysterious "explosions" have been reported across west and north Auckland, but police are mystified.

Reports of loud ‘‘bangs’’ followed by houses shaking began about 5pm, in the Hibiscus Coast area.

Inspector Tony Edwards of police northern communications said police received reports of the bangs from the Herald Island - Greenhithe area about the same time.

More reports came in a while later from the Ranui - Scenic Drive area in West Auckland.

A Fire Service worker came in to work later and confirmed they had heard the noises in the Red Beach area, which is on the Hibiscus Coast.

Edwards said people had variously described the noises as sounding like gun-shots and loud explosions.

Police had checked with the Air Force, which has a base in Whenuapai, but turned out not to be not responsible, and neither was Paremoremo prison.

Lines companies had not reported any electrical disturbances and Geonet is not showing any tectonic activity in the Auckland area.

Arkles Bay resident Will Trayes said he heard the noises about 4pm.

His house shook with a "sudden, quick vibration" for two or three seconds and he heard a slight rumble similar to thunder.

Six or seven minutes later it happened again and then again six or seven minutes after that.

His sister said she thought it was a truck going past the house, he said.

‘‘I wasn't worried, I was just wondering if there was going to be a bigger shake."

A local Facebook page was inundated with 450 comments after Kelly de Rooy posted: "Holy hell, was that an earthquake I just felt in Stanmore Bay? My entire house just shook".

Sally Louise Dodsworth wrote: ‘‘3 big shakes here in Stillwater’’ while Deborah Johnston said: ‘‘We heard real weird noise too and the cupboards were vibrating in Red Beach.’’

Kathryn Wales wrote: ‘‘Can anyone see Rangitoto???? THat's not blowing up is it???’’

Astronomer Alan Gilmore, at Tekapo's Mt John Observatory, discounted the theory that it could have been a meteor creating a sonic boom.

Gilmore was interested at first, saying it was possible and there had been other meteor-caused booms in New Zealand in the past.

However, his enthusiasm dimmed when told there were reports of three bangs five minutes apart.

The chance that three meteors would all strike in the same place separated by a regular interval was very, very low, he said.

"I think you'll have to look for a terrestrial explanation," he said.

The noises remain a mystery.
- Stuff http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/10174693/Mystery-bangs-and-shaking-in-Auckland

[Agartha]

Isn't that an area prone to earthquakes?

[Rogue]

No not Auckland. Further south is down the North Island and the South Island. Auckland is known for all its volcanoes, about 50 odd I think.

[Agartha]

Are the volcanoes active?

[Rogue]

Well.. yes and no...

Auckland is vulnerable to volcanic eruptions. Much of Auckland is built on the Auckland Volcanic Field (AVF), which covers 360km2 and contains at least 50 volcanoes. It is expected that these volcanoes won’t erupt again and any future eruptions will occur in new, unknown locations.

Past eruptions have sometimes started with a large explosion because of either ground or sea water coming in contact with rising magma. An eruption of this type is more likely to recur in Auckland due to the close proximity of many water sources. These eruptions can form large craters, which can subsequently fill with water such as Lake Pupuke, Orakei Basin and Onepoto Reserve.

When and where future eruptions will occur is unknown. Based on the number and frequency of past eruptions it is estimated there is about a 1 in 1000 (0.001 per cent) chance an eruption could occur in any one year.
This means that there is an 8 per cent probability (1 in 12.5 chance) an eruption will occur in the AVF field over any 80 year period.

http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/environmentwaste/naturalhazardsemergencies/hazards/Pages/volcanichazards.aspx

[Rogue]

This one explained..

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/10175934/Defence-Force-surprised-by-bomb-reaction

[Rockhopper]

Saw that on the news here.

Yup, Auckland AKA Jaffatown is built on about 60 odd volcanoes. Rangitoto is the youngest and is about 600yrs old. We live in hope down here, that another one will pop up and put them out of our misery!

Tim.

[Mordae]

 Fingers crossed all the politicians move up there first eh?   

The scariest thing about Yukland though, is that if a volcano goes up, there are really only 3 exit points out of the area and only one that doesn't go right under the shadow of a volcano (SH16 north), although I did plot out a couple of alternate escape routes for that sort of event when I was working up there.

The traffic there is so crap the entire place would basically become a deathtrap.

[Rockhopper]

Aye. It's a bloody death trap alright. The volcanoes there are single shot ones; they pop up erupt for xxx years then die down and never pop again. It's on a hot spot.

Tim.

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