A magnitude 4.4 earthquake struck north of Canberra on Wednesday evening, affecting thousands of people in what is being described as the region’s largest quake in decades.
Earthquake Details
Geoscience Australia reported the tremor hit at a depth of 12 kilometres near Boorowa, approximately 100 kilometres north of the capital, at around 7:10 p.m. local time.
The light to moderate quake was felt as far away as Sydney, Batemans Bay, Gosford, and Albury. More than 5000 people reported feeling the shaking.
Potential for Damage
Geoscience Australia seismologist Hugh Glanville stated the earthquake was large for the area, but not unprecedented. He noted at least 25 quakes exceeding magnitude four have been recorded in the region over the past 100 years, with the most recent comparable event being a magnitude 4.8 tremor at Browning in 1977, which caused minor damage.
“Around this size is when you start to get minor damage from earthquakes,” Glanville said. “So we don’t know at this stage but you can get minor things like plaster cracking, things falling off shelves, and light damage to structures.”
Resident Reports and Aftershocks
A resident of Goulburn described the experience on Facebook, saying it “sounded like a train rumbling past my window and the whole house shook.”
As of Wednesday evening, there have been no reports of damage. Glanville indicated residents could expect aftershocks, though they are likely to be smaller in magnitude.
Geoscience Australia data shows 346 earthquakes within 100 kilometres of the latest epicentre have occurred in the past 20 years, though most were significantly smaller.
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