A magnitude-6.4 earthquake hit the Banda Sea near Timor-Leste just after midnight. The impacts were felt across the entire length of northern Australia, rattling cities and towns such as Darwin, and even Kununurra in far eastern Western Australia. This one was a magnitude 5.6 earthquake at a depth of 135 kilometers, epicentered roughly 600 kilometers from Darwin City. This event raised concern and a lot of questions from local residents.
She reported that the seismic event rattled Darwin City and its northern suburbs as well as rural areas around the city. Thousands of residents across the region reported their ground shaking so intensely that they fled their homes or sought shelter. Joey, a second-year law student at Charles Darwin University, was in the thick of it during the quake. Tariq’s description of the moment was breathtaking.
“I was just sitting on my bed doing an assignment, in my own world, and I felt the shaking, and it made me get up,” – Joey
Joey had a gut feeling the quake would last for at least 90 seconds. This amount of time added to the fear that residents of the impact zone were already feeling.
Understanding the Earthquake
Geoscience Australia illustration of how earthquakes occur. They subsequently slide past each other, leading to the jolts of seismic ground shaking that we experience. These geological processes are widespread in tectonically active subduction zones, like the epicenter of this recent earthquake. According to Dr. Cummins, a senior seismologist with Geoscience Australia, the importance of what’s happening in the geological hot bed region cannot be understated.
“The rule of thumb is they [aftershocks] might be a unit of magnitude lower than the main shock,” – Dr. Cummins
In addition to the new infrastructural challenges, Dr. Cummins warned that aftershocks will almost certainly occur in the coming months after this earthquake. He was skeptical that residents in Darwin would experience them.
Historical Context
This earthquake is significant both for its magnitude and in light of Australia’s seismic history. In 1988, Australia suffered its largest magnitude earthquake on record at Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory. It was a terribly destructive and deadly quake, registering an estimated magnitude of 6.6. Fortunately, this recent quake didn’t come close to breaking that record. Its effects were profound, and they were felt over a broad geographic area and rattled an impactful enough area.
Residents are urged to stay on guard as aftershocks can be expected. Regardless, Dr. Cummins wanted to make sure we’re all prepared to respond to more seismic activity when we’re in such an active tectonic landscape.
