Now new research by seismologists at the Australian National University, published in Seismological Research Letters, has determined that the earthquake was caused by a previously unknown, deep-lying “blind fault” with no visible presence on the surface.

The tremor was also felt in parts of New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT. The 2021 quake caused some damage to buildings in Melbourne, including on the famous Chapel Street shopping strip, when it hit at 9:15am. The magnitude-5.9 earthquake - which struck in September 2021 - was centred near the tiny town of Woods Point, about 130 kilometres east of Melbourne.Īlthough it caused only minor damage, the earthquake was larger than the 1989 Newcastle earthquake, which killed 13 people. Scientists say the largest earthquake ever recorded in Victoria was caused by a previously unknown fault line deep within the Earth’s crust. “I’m not saying there will be a big (earthquake), but we shouldn’t forget about the possibility of having a big one.Dan Oakes* says researchers have determined the earthquake was caused by a previously unknown, deep-lying “blind fault” with no visible presence on the surface. “There’s an old saying: earthquakes don’t kill people, buildings do, so it’s a matter of our readiness when it does happen,” he said. “The problem is because we don’t have as many larger spikes, we tend to forget about them and that’s the real danger.”ĭr Ghasemi is worried not only Victoria, but the country, which isn’t ready for a large tremor that could see infrastructure crumble under the pressure. “Living in a stable continent like Australia, you should always be concerned,” Dr Ghasemi said. However, just because the state encounters lower magnitude tremors it doesn’t necessarily mean Victorians are in a safer position then their New Zealand counterparts, for example. Why Victorians should ‘always be concerned’ about quakesĪustralia is known as a “stable region” because it’s far from the active boundary, which means it’s less likely to encounter large magnitude quakes like the ones we see overseas. Sunbury’s 3.8 magnitude earthquake late last month was felt in parts of Tasmania.

Therefore, Victoria hasn’t necessarily had more earthquakes than usual - rather, there have been more reports of tremors due to the access we have to technology. Websites Research Data Australia and Wayback Machine suggest the platform - which was established in May 2018 - has made it easier to report earthquakes in Australia in the last five years. Meanwhile Dr Ghasemi assumed the establishment of reporting systems like has also led to an increase in awareness about the earthquakes. He added that due to technology helping Victorians share information more quickly, there’s a greater tendency for earthquakes that are felt to be reported as soon as they happen. “(Victoria) is a part of the Australian South East Highland region and as a matter of fact, it’s one of the most seismically active regions in Australia,” he said.īecause of this, the state can record up to 40 earthquakes a week, however they’re not all felt very often, Seismology Research Centre Seismologist Adam Pascale said. The ‘most seismically active region’ in the countryĭr Hadi Ghasemi, senior seismologist at Geoscience Australia, told Victoria has had more than 300 earthquakes in the last ten years. Victoria has recorded at least nine earthquakes that have been felt across the state since the start of this year. “What’s with all the earthquakes (in Victoria), is this normal?” one person asked the Seismology Research Centre on Facebook.

While the earthquakes that have occurred more recently haven’t been felt as widely, authorities across the state, such as SES Victoria and the Seismology Research Centre, continue to take to social media to report such earth tremors.īut among the comments of these posts, some Victorians have expressed their concern about why the state suddenly seems to be having more earthquakes.

Melburnians reported hearing a loud bang as their houses shook for a few seconds, with many taking to social media in search of information on what they just felt. Just over 27,000 Australians told Geoscience Australia they felt the 3.8 magnitude earthquake that happened 2 km below ground. For more info, visit /zdCamiHzrC- VICSES News June 12, 2023 No injuries or damage has been recorded at this time. The earthquake occurred at 8:29pm with widespread felt reports. A magnitude 2.8 earthquake has been recorded with an epicentre near Foster, Victoria.

Victorian earth quake