N.Z. Researchers See 23% Chance of Another Big Canterbury Quake

New Zealand researchers said there is a 23 percent chance of another magnitude 6 to 7 earthquake in the Canterbury province over the next 12 months.

The chance of a temblor of such size striking the South Island’s biggest city, Christchurch, is 6 percent, officials said in a statement posted on the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority website today. Seismic surveys have revealed some previously unknown fault structures that might generate quakes of this size, the researchers said.