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Earthquakes generate loss only when assets are near enough to be significantly shaken. When communities are highly insured, much of that loss transfers to the insurer. Many events in the 2010–2011 Canterbury Earthquake Sequence were sufficiently shallow and close to (or under) Christchurch to subject the city to very intense shaking (V: 1.7 g; H: 2.2 g). Shaking damage was extensive, exacerbated by the city's setting wherein the eastern suburbs were built on low-lying flatlands (formerly swamp) where liquefaction was widespread, and the southern suburbs, on the flanks of the now-dormant Lyttelton/Akaroa volcano, experienced boulder roll and landslide effects. There were 17 events in the sequence that resulted in insurance claims. The interval between damaging events was insufficient to enable the widespread damage to be assessed or repaired. Furthermore, the combination of tectonic subsidence and liquefaction ejectile lowered the land surface, creating unacceptable flood risk. This paper provides a snapshot of the most complicated insurance settlement program experienced anywhere.

Integrated apatite fission track analysis and vitrinite reflectance data show that well 204/19-1 in the West of Shetland region, UK Atlantic margin, has experienced only limited additional burial beyond present-day depths. Uplift and cooling to present-day levels probably occurred during late Cenozoic (Eocene to Miocene) basin inversion. Fluid inclusion data indicate that Paleocene-Eocene sandstones have experienced temperatures much higher than can be explained by burial alone. Temperatures up to 200 C indicate the passage of hot fluid through Cenozoic sandstones, which by-passed the pre-Cenozoic section in this and other wells. The hot fluid event must have been of very brief duration (up to 100 years) to show no record in the fission track and reflectance data, implying that the fluids migrated through fracture systems.Oil inclusions in the Cretaceous of well 204/19-1 have a chemistry that suggests derivation from a Kimmeridgian-aged source rock. They occur in cements that show no evidence for the hot fluid event and it is concluded that the cements pre-date the event. Oil inclusions in Cenozoic sandstones have a heavy, degraded character and were trapped at high temperature, suggesting that degradation was related to the hot fluid event. Present-day oils in the West of Shetland region are mixtures, which could reflect components from the two charges distinguished by the integrated thermal and geochemical histories. The inference of fracture-bound flow is consistent with existing models of overpressure development and hydrofracturing.

Objective This study explores whether the prognosis of interstitial lung disease in rheumatoid arthritis (RA-ILD) has improved over time and assesses the potential influence of drug therapy in a large multicentre UK network. Methods We analysed data from 18 UK centres on patients meeting criteria for both RA and ILD diagnosed over a 25-year period. Data included age, disease duration, outcome and cause of death. We compared all cause and respiratory mortality between RA controls and RA-ILD patients, assessing the influence of specific drugs on mortality in four quartiles based on year of diagnosis. Results A total of 290 RA-ILD patients were identified. All cause (respiratory) mortality was increased at 30% (18%) compared with controls 21% (7%) (P =0.02). Overall, prognosis improved over quartiles with median age at death rising from 63 years to 78 years (P =0.01). No effect on mortality was detected as a result of DMARD use in RA-ILD. Relative risk (RR) of death from any cause was increased among patients who had received anti-TNF therapy [2.09 (1.1–4.0)] P =0.03, while RR was lower in those treated with rituximab [0.52(0.1–2.1)] or mycophenolate [0.65 (0.2–2.0)]. Patients receiving rituximab as their first biologic had longer three (92%), five (82%) and seven year (80%) survival than those whose first biologic was an anti-TNF agent (82%, 76% and 64%, respectively) (P =0.037). Discussion This large retrospective multicentre study demonstrates survival of patients with RA-ILD has improved. This may relate to the increasing use of specific immunosuppressive and biologic agents.

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