How satellites pictured the 7.8-magntiude Kaikoura earthquakeGEONET/JAPANESE SPACE AGENCY This image is an interferogram, produced using data from a Japanese Space Agency satellite. "Astonishing" satellite images show horizontal land movement from the Kaikoura earthquake of up to six metres southwest and up to five metres northeast. Radar satellites orbiting about 700km above the Earth are being used to measure how much the ground moved, GeoNet said. GEONET Data from satellite passes before and after an earthquake can show the extent of ground movement, often with centimetre-level accuracy. In contrast, to the west of these faults the land moved mostly northeastwards," the agency said.

Source: Stuff November 18, 2016 23:09 UTC