Earthquakes in South Africa
In South Africa, earthquakes can be strong and cause heavy damages in a circle of dozens of kilometers. Measured against the size of the country, earthquakes occur very rarely.55 people died since 1950 by direct consequences of earthquakes.
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Earthquakes in South Africa since 1950
The strongest earthquake in South Africa happened on 09/29/1969 in the Cape Province region with a magnitude of 6.3 on the Richter scale. The shifting of tectonic plates in a depth of 32 km resulted in 12 deaths.| Date | Region | Depth | Magnitude | Deaths | Total damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05/03/2018 | West Rand | 2.1 | 7 | ||
| 08/05/2014 | Orkney | 38 km | 5.5 | 1 | |
| 12/06/2009 | Carletonville | 59 km | 3.5 | 2 | |
| 03/09/2005 | Klerksdorp, Stilfontein | 31 km | 4.3 | 2 | |
| 02/07/2000 | Mbabane-Manzini | 57 km | 4.5 | 0 | |
| 07/21/1997 | Avgold's Hartebeestfontein Mine | 49 km | 5.0 | 15 | |
| 10/18/1990 | Charletonville | 44 km | 4.0 | 10 | |
| 09/26/1990 | Welkom | 23 km | 4.2 | 2 | |
| 10/05/1986 | Mount Frere, Durban | 20 km | 4.8 | 0 | |
| 12/08/1976 | South Africa | 25 km | 5.2 | 4 | |
| 10/05/1969 | Tulbagh | 5.8 | 0 | ||
| 09/29/1969 | Cape Province | 32 km | 6.3 | 12 |
These statistics are based on datas from the National Geophysical Data Center / World Data Service (NGDC/WDS): Significant Earthquake Database. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K. Data have been summarized and translated.
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