Recent Australian Seismicity

AUSTRALIAN EARTHQUAKES

Earthquake activity in Australia is monitored by Geoscience Australia, which is based in Canberra, ACT. Information on recent earthquakes in Australia can be found on their web site www.ga.gov.au. Data given here is a summary of data provided by Geoscience Australia website.

EARTHQUAKES 2009 (Mag 4.0 and above)

DATE
G.M.T.
LAT (S)
LONG
MAG
REGION
18 Jan 1413 19.97 133.79 4.3 60 Km SW of Tennant Ck
26 Jan 0029 32.757 139.029 4.5 ~120 km ESE of Pt. Augusta, SA
30 Jan 1733 30.20 117.774 4.1 ~ 30 km NNW of Beacon, WA
31 Jan 0847 30.23 117.784 4.6 N of Beacon, WA
31 Jan 1155 30.215 117.80 4.4 N of Beacon, WA
01 Feb 0042 30.21 117.82 4.0 N of Beacon, WA
01 Feb 2157 30.214 117.795 4.0 N of Beacon, WA
05 Mar 1253 30.21 117.774 4.5 N of Beacon, WA
06 Mar 0135 16.314 121.252 5.1 ~200 km NW of Broome, WA
06 Mar 0955 38.39 145.79 4.6 ~110 kn SE of Melbourne
18 Mar 0528 38.39 145.80 4.6 ~110 km SE of Melbourne
08 Apr 0531 34.15 116.881 4.1 70 km ESE of Bridgetown WA
25 Jun 1516 30.62 117.47 4.2 SW of Beacon, WA
30 Jul 1800 30.915 137.145 4.1 ~ 300 km Sth of Kangaroo Island
05 Aug 1910 38.97 137.12 4.0 ~ 300 km Sth of Kangaroo Island
05 Aug 2143 38.95 137.22 4.8 ~ 300 km Sth of Kangaroo Is
05 Aug 2227 38.996 137.13 4.2 ~ 300 km Sth of Kangaroo Is
12 Aug 0456 38.80 137.47 4.5 ~ 300 km Sth of Kangaroo Is

EARTHQUAKES 2008 (Mag 4.0 and above)

DATE	G.M.T.	LAT (S)	LONG	MAG	REGION
06 Feb	0646	13.402	129.664	4.2	170 Km SW of Darwin
13 Feb	2157	27.551	146.651	4.2	110 km NE of Cunamulla, Qsld
31 March	0827	27.666	112.332	4.4	250 km WNW of Geraldton
28 May	0430	18.596	122.323	4.7	S of Broome, WA
09 July	2345	26.034	125.223	4.5	W of Warburton, WA
28 July	1109	14.55	122.11	4.5	Scott Reef, WA
02 Aug	0518	14.66	122.17	4.1	Scott Reef, WA
23 Oct	1152	32.477	140.656	4.0	90 Km SW of Broken Hill
17 Nov	0202	31.402	138.73	4.2	150 K NE of Pt Augusta, SA
21 Nov	0426	15.21	113.0	4.2	approx 800 km NW of Karratha, WA

EARTHQUAKES 2007 (Mag 3.5 and above)

DATE
G.M.T.
LAT
LONG
MAG
REGION
28 Jan 2031 30.799 138.616 3.5 SE of Leigh Ck., SA
15 Feb 1538 25.967 113.276 5.3 Shark Bay, WA
28 Feb 2022 18.723 123.232 3.5 Gt Sandy Desert, WA
3 Mar 1019 23.519 136.696 3.6 East of Alice Springs
06 Mar 0407 29.933 124.341 3.9 Gt Victoria Desert WA
08 Mar 0234 37.982 145.74 3.5 East of Melbourne
06 June 0809 31.386 111.649 3.5 off-shore, WA
30 June 1406 30.77 117.157 3.8 E of Cadoux, WA
01 July 1357 22.977 128.662 3.9 S of Lake MacKay, WA
05 Aug 0712 33.185 117.648 3.5 Dumbleyung, WA
25 Aug 0606 26.495 151.432 3.5 N of Dalby, Qsld
28 Aug 1533 35.429 115.942 4.6 SE of Augusta, WA
08 Sep 1029 40.5 145.09 3.8 N of Smithton, Tas
16 Sept 2318 31.392 138.523 4.8 Parachilna, SA
06 Oct 0239 36.07 136.11 4.2 W. of Kangaroo Is, SA
09 Oct 2358 33.946 117.505 4.8 Broome Hill, WA
04 Nov 1219 23.872 114.74 4.0 NE of Carnarvon, WA
05 Nov 0637 21.772 129.542 3.5 E of Lake MacKay WA
07 Nov 1910 23.856 114.745 4.4 NE of Carnarvon, WA
13 Nov 0659 37.675 140.097 3.9 near Millicent, S.A.
19 Nov 2001 12.336 143.735 4.8 200 Km E of Weipa
27 Nov 0248 23.219 115.047 3.7 250 km SE of Exmouth, WA
12 Dec 0836 40.371 144.665 3.5 NW of Smithton,Tasmania
13 Dec 0529 12.537 122.823 3.8 Ashmore reef, NW WA
26 Dec 1536 32.086 138.383 4.7 South of Hawker SA

EARTHQUAKES 2006 - (Mag 3.5 and above)

DATE

G.M.T.

LAT (S)

LONG (E)

MAG

REGION

19 Jan

0016

40.75

146.39

3.6

off Devonport, Tasmania

25 Jan

1158

34.203

135.463

3.5

Yeelanna, S.A.

29 Jan

0940

21.676

113.446

3.4

W. of Exmouth, WA

04 Feb

1631

37.564

148.183

3.9

NW of Orbost, Vic

09 feb

0416

32.872

138.13

3.5

N of Pt. Pirie SA, Felt

11 Mar

1035

35.802

136.702

3.5

W of Kingscote, SA

01 Apr

0109

25.992

130.985

3.7

S of Yulara, SA

02 Apr

0839

22.131

118.66

4.0

NE of Tom Price, WA

02 May

1006

26.042

137.216

3.6

500 km SE of Alice Springs

13 May

0104

27.719

135.992

5.1

50 km SE of Oodnadatta, S.A.

24 May

2134

23.012

130.035

3.9

400 km west of Alice Springs

06 June

1534

25.032

117.44

4.5

200 km NW of Meekatharra

12 June

2243

25.061

117.556

3.9

200 km NW of Meekatharra

15 June

0801

32.093

139.179

3.8

150 km ENE of Port Augusta, S.A.

07 July

2348

31.381

138.682

4.0

150 km NE of Port Augusta, S.A.

27 July

1038

30.928

139.276

3.9

SE of Leigh Creek, SA

28 July

0549

18.1

147.72

3.9

Offshore Ingham, Qsld

12 Aug

0220

32.82

138.075

3.5

W of Melrose, SA

02 Sep

1547

24.43

116.41

3.5

NW of Landor, WA - felt

29 Sep

1249

44.36

145.01

4.4

SW of Hobart, Tasmania

21 Oct

0951

34.036

149.16

4.2

South east of Cowra - felt widely

22 Oct

1236

37.87

145.03

2.8

Caulfield, Vic - felt widely

07 Dec

1058

25.19

117.47

3.3

SW of Mt. Clere, WA

14 Dec

1723

42.79

143.56

4.4

West of Tasmania

26 Dec

0729

38.36

111.87

5.0

800 km SSW of Perth

EARTHQUAKES 2005 - Mag 4.0 and above

DATE

G.M.T.

MAG

LATITUDE

LONGITUDE

REGION

24 Jan 2005

0943

3.8

-17.53

122.587

NE of Broome WA*

23 Feb 2005

1935

3.9

-14.632

122.064

Scott Reef off WA*

3 Mar 2005

1057

4.0

-30.90

139.14

SE of Leigh Creek, SA

13 Mar 2005

0209

4.6

-26.15

131.64

W of Ernabella, SA

16 Mar 2005

0127

4.2

-30.64

117.46

N of Koorda, WA

19 Mar 2005

0729

4.1

-26.091

130.868

Central Desert, NT

22 Mar 2005

1951

4.4

-21.00

119.61

NW of Marble Bar, WA

12 Apr 2005

1200

4.0

-30.56

117.00

W of Burakin,WA

01 May 2005

0943

4.1

-30.19

117.91

N of Beacon, WA

14 May 2005

1953

4.5

-31.0

139.15

North Flinders Ra., SA

18 May 2005

2339

4.6

-20.11

119.37

E of Port Hedland, WA

12 Jun 2005

1051

4.3

-30.80

117.11

SW of Cadoux,WA

12 Jun 2005

2036

4.5

-30.56

117.03

W of Burakin,WA

12 July 2005

0757

3.5

-31.49

138.52

N of Hawker, SA*

03 Aug 2005

0502

3.8

-19.90

133.88

Tennant Ck. NT*

14 Sep 2005

0512

4.4

-19.87

134.10

Tennant Creek,NT

21 Sep 2005

2246

4.0

-30.146

117.165

N of Kalannie, WA

22 Sep 2005

0352

4.1

-30.126

117.173

NE of Kalannie. WA

18 Oct 2005

1613

3.4

-19.868

134.101

S of Tennant Ck*

25 Nov 2005

2032

3.6

-30.134

117.195

N of Kalannie*

28 Dec 2005

2054

4.1

-28.191

147.894

St George Qsld

* indicates largest earthquake for that month

Below -Australian Earthquakes, Mag 3.0 & above, 2005

Legend : 3.0 - 3.9 - Mauve, 4.0 - 4.4 - Blue, 4.5-4.9 Red

Note - there are 70 events plotted on the map above. Most of these are in the magnitude range 3.0 - 3.9, and are in the south west of Western Australia, but are not visible because they fall on the same location of other events. Refer to the section on Western Australia for more information.

SEISMIC ENERGY RELEASE, 2005 - 2006

The magnitude scale for earthquakes is logarithmic, and most of the seismic energy released in any month comes from the larger events. Using the tables above, the energy released in each month has been summed, and converted back to an equivalent single earthquake for the whole month. The result is graphed below

This graph indicates how seismic energy release in Australia over the last two years was dominated by events in May 2005 and March 2005

EARTHQUAKES 2004 - Mag 4.0 and above

DATE
PLACE
MAG
LAT
LONG
16 Jan 2004 SE of Monto, Qsld 4.4 -25.072 151.275
17 Jan 2004 S of Broome, WA 4.0 -18.783 122.396
23 Jan 2004 N of Balladonia, WA 4.3 -31.672 123.549
11 Feb 2004 Mt. Redvers, NT 5.4 -22.68 129.82
11 Feb 2004 Mt. Redvers, NT
5.0
-22.74 129.87
05 Mar 2004 SE of Cocklebiddy 4.4 -32.472 127.034
25 Sep 2004 SE of Kununurra,WA 4.0 -16.776 129.152
07 Dec 2004 East of Australia 5.1 -19.99 156.76

Below - Mt. Redvers earthquake 11 Feb 2004 (Mag 5.4) (Map by Geoscience Aust)

Below - the Mt. Redvers events as recorded on the seismograph at Muresk, WA

EARTHQUAKES 2003 - Mag 4.0 and above
DATE
PLACE
MAG
LATITUDE
LONGITUDE
01 Jan 2003 Tennant Ck 4.1 -19.84 133.98
11 Aug 2003 East of Ingham, Qsld 4.8 -18.44 147.11
22 Nov 2003 Hawker, SA 4.2 -31.61 138.78
11 Dec 2003 Bowral NSW 4.2 -34.48 150.44
05 Dec 2003 E of Fitzroy Xing, WA 4.8 -18.22 126.74
.
EARTHQUAKES 2002 - Mag 4.0 and above
DATE
PLACE
MAG
LATITUDE
LONGITUDE
7 Feb 2002 near King Is., TAS 4.1 -40.356 143.886
5 March 2002 Burakin WA 4.6 -30.495 131.075
30 March 2002 Burakin WA 5.2 -30.524 131.049
23 March Burakin WA 4.8 -30.521 131.065
5 April 2002 offshore Shark Bay, WA 4.1 -25.118 112.149
15 June 2002 Lake Sorrell, TAS 4.3 -42.124 147.425
24 Sept 2002 Fish Ck, Vic 4.0 -38.67 146.083
8 Oct 2002 Gascoyne Jn., WA 4.5 -25.263 115.498
15 Oct 2002 Nth of Pt. Hedland, WA 4.0 -19.051 118.012

Seismicity of Western Australia