SJS7- "Shaken City: two years after its big quake, Christchurch is still trembling"

Source: Pollard, Simon D. "Shaken City: two years after its big quake, Christchurch is still trembling." Natural History, Apr. 2013, p. 14+.

*The journal came from "Gale World History in Context"*

Author Credentials: Simon D. Pollard, the author of this article, lives in New Zealand and teaches science communication in the College of Science at Canterbury University. He has presented many national history documents, and he has written for National History for 20+ years.

Summary: In this article, Pollard discusses the effect that earthquakes have had on New Zealand, and specifically his home city: Christchurch. He begins the article by discussing a devastating 7.1 earthquake that took place on September 4, 2010. He discusses how over 400,000 people live in Christchurch on the South Island of New Zealand, and how that earthquake managed to knock down many buildings and churches. He explains how after the earthquake in September 2010, many other earthquakes were set off revealing tectonic plates that had not been dominant in the past. He continues by explaining that people know are prepared for earthquakes because of the devastating earthquakes that occurred in Christchurch from September 2010- Februrary 2011. Pollard discusses  since so many buildings were wiped out during this time, new building codes have been enforced in hopes of saving the lives of thousands. He continues to explain how, everyone in Christchurch keeps flashlights, powerless phones, and food on hand, and how the earthquakes have actually prepared them for the worst, by allowing citizens to always be ready. Pollard ends the article by discussing the Alpine Fault, a incredibly dangerous boundary that has not been set off since 1717. He explains that there is a good possibility that it will go off in the next 50 years, and unlike individuals in other areas of New Zealand, because of the earthquakes Christchurch citizens have faced, they are much more prepared.

Analysis: Pollard makes an incredibly strong argument, for how the devastation that earthquakes have produced, has prepared the citizens of Christchurch. Pollard gives his personal account of multiple earthquakes, and he discusses how quickly people bounce back, explaining how once there was an earthquake that wrecked several aisles in a grocery store, and within two hours the entire store was clean and open again. Pollard does an excellent job of providing multiple facts if he forms an opinion, and based on his past knowledge I believe he is a reliable source.