New Zealand's National Geohazards Monitoring Centre: first responders in earthquake events

Three hundred earthquakes will hit New Zealand this week, but many of them will be too small to be felt, when a big earthquake shakes the country, the scientists at the National Geohazards Monitoring Centre are the first responders. The centre operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and the seismologists on call are the first line of defence, always on alert for catastrophe. Monitoring the more than 500 seismic sensors is one of the country’s most important jobs. Since earthquakes cannot be predicted, a fast reaction time is critical, especially for a country situated between two tectonic plates.