Original: The 2010 Canterbury earthquake (also known as the Christchurch earthquake or Darfield earthquake) was a 7.1 magnitude earthquake, which struck the South Island of New Zealand at 4:35 am on local time (16:35 UTC).
Simplified: The 2010 Canterbury earthquake was a powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake, which struck the South Island of New Zealand at 4:35 am September 4, 2010 local time (16:35 3 September UTC).