Earthquakes in Australia
In Australia, there are very strong earthquakes with far-reaching consequences. Earthquakes with a magnitude of over 8.0 destroy numerous houses within a radius of several hundred kilometers and are causing great damage and devastation. Measured against the size of the country, earthquakes occur very rarely.12 people died since 1950 by direct consequences of earthquakes. There were 3 earthquakes that also caused a subsequent tsunami, which claimed further lives, and cause additional damage.
Other natural hazards in Australia:
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Most recent events
This list includes the strongest earthquakes recorded in or around Australia by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in the past 14 days. Whether an event is listed here depends largely on its magnitude, but also on its distance from inhabited areas. All data refer to the local time. This page is updated daily at 11 am UTC.
- Jan. 22, 2:29 amMagnitude 4.0: northwest of Australia at a depth of ten km.
Earthquakes in Australia since 1950
The strongest earthquake in Australia happened on 05/23/1989 in the Macquarie Station; New Zealand region with a magnitude of 8.2 on the Richter scale. The earthquake also triggered a tsunami, leading to further victims and destruction. | Date | Region | Depth | Magnitude | Deaths | Total damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09/21/2021 | Melbourne | 10 km | 5.9 | 0 | |
| 02/26/2014 | Kalgoorlie | 29 km | 4.5 | 0 | |
| 04/20/2010 | Kalgoorlie | 8 km | 5.2 | 0 | |
| 09/22/2009 | Mornington | 41 km | 3.1 | 0 | |
| 12/23/2004 | Macquarie Island | 4 km | 8.1 | 0 | |
| 06/18/2000 | S, Cocos Islands | 13 km | 7.9 | 0 | |
| 12/27/1989 | Newcastle | 57 km | 5.4 | 12 | |
| 05/23/1989 | Macquarie Station; New Zealand | 46 km | 8.2 | 0 | |
| 01/22/1988 | Tennant Creek | 57 km | 6.7 | 0 | |
| 01/22/1988 | Tennant Creek | 58 km | 6.3 | 0 | |
| 09/03/1987 | Macquarie Island | 13 km | 7.7 | 0 | |
| 06/02/1979 | Western | 58 km | 6.1 | 0 | |
| 03/09/1973 | Wollongong, Sydney | 12 km | 5.5 | 0 | |
| 06/11/1970 | Macquarie Island | 38 km | 7.6 | 0 | |
| 10/14/1968 | Meckering, Northam, Cunderdin, York | 6.9 | 0 | ||
| 02/28/1954 | Adelaide | 5.4 | 0 |
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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