Earthquakes in the News

NSW    Aug-Sep 2024        group of 5 magnitude 4+ events in the Hunter Valley (largest ML 4.7), about 10 km south of Muswellbrook, which appear to be in, or under a coal mine. Accompanied by ~ 50 smaller events.

WA   18 Aug 2024             magnitude 4.5 earthquake about 30 km SE of Wyalkatchem, the largest of a group of ~90 located events, with the sequence beginning ~ 5 weeks earlier, with a magnitude 3.4 event on 13 July 2024

Overview of Australian seismicity

Australia sits on the Australian geotectonic plate, which is drifting to the northeast at about 7 cm per year. High rates of seismicity are occurring where the Australian Plate interacts with the plates adjoining it. These earthquakes are called INTER-PLATE earthquakes.

Seismicity of NSW, South Australia and Victoria

Seismicity of NSW and the A.C.T.    The map above shows earthquakes located by the SAA between 2017 & 2024

The largest earthquake in NSW since 1900 was the 1961 Roberstson earthquake (magnitude 5.8), which was felt strongly in the Bowral region, and also in Sydney. It was the largest of several large earthquakes originating from within the Sydney (Geological) basin.

seismicity of Queensland, N.T. & northern Western Australia

Queensland’s largest earthquakes have been along its eastern coast line.  The largest was the magnitude 6.0 event off Gladstone in June, 1918, and a magnitude 5.8 event occurred offshore from Bowen in 2018. The Bowen event has had a long series of aftershocks, and small events related to the 2018 event are still occurring in 2024.

Recent major world earthquakes

Vanuatu 17 Dec 2024                        A magnitude 7.2 earthquake on 17 Dec 2024 caused major damage in the capital of Vanuatu, Port Vila - about 2000 km NE of Brisbane. At least 14 people have been killed. Many aftershocks have occurred.

Papua New Guinea  March 2024   A magnitude 5.4 earthquake occurred in the East Sepik Province of PNG, causing the deaths of 5 people

Subscribe to