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Earthquakes in Victoria, AustraliaA Historical Perspective
Jul 06, 2011 © Harry P. Schlanger
Australia experiences earthquakes to a much lesser extent than other countries, such as Japan, Iran or New Zealand. Victoria does have a history of minor earthquakes
Australia is located centrally on the Australian tectonic plate, which is relatively stable because it is situated far from plate margins, or boundaries, that
are "hotspots" for severe earthquakes.
Far Reaching Tectonic Stresses
Tectonic stresses can develop a long distance away from plate margins, explaining why the continent can experience relatively minor earthquakes.
Moreover, Australia is located on a shield - an old solid part of the earth's crust where there is little or no volcanic activity, or tectonic movement, resulting
in little measured seismic activity.
One example in Newcastle, NSW occurred in 1989 causing severe damage and loss of life, but largely because Australian building codes did not take into account earthquakes
due to their low frequency.
Earthquakes in Victoria
In Victoria, there have been a few minor earthquakes recorded in the last 120 years. The table below
shows that most earthquakes affecting Victoria range from 4.4 to 6.9 and are located in a region spanning from the Tasman Sea, Gippsland, to the Alps.
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Magnitude
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Date
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Damage Location
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6.4
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13 July 1884
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Tasman Sea, Tasmania and Victoria
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6.8
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12 May 1885
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Tasman Sea, Tasmania and Victoria
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6.9
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26 Jan 1892
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Tasman Sea, Tasmania and Victoria
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5.3
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14 July 1903
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Warrnambool, Victoria
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5.5
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4 May 1966
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Mount Hotham,
Victoria
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5.6
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20 June 1969
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Boolarra, Victoria
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5.4
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21 Nov 1982
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Wonnangatta, Victoria
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5.0
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25 Sept 1996
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Mount Baw Baw, Victoria
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4.6
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6 Mar 2009
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Korumburra, Victoria
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4.4
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5 July 2011
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Korumburra, Victoria
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Recent Earthquake Activity and News
Recently activity in Victoria includes an earthquake centered on Korumburra with 4.4 magnitude, this week. Scientists are warning there is potential for stronger tremors
and volcanoes in Western Victoria and South Australia are due to erupt.
According to Professor James Goff, director of the Australian Tsunami Research Centre, earthquake activity in the Pacific will cause huge tsunamis
to hit the East Coast of Australia (including Eastern Victoria?).
The Extinction Protocol blog points out that a new force has been discovered that drives plate tectonics: Plumes of hot magma pushing up from Earth’s deep interior.
This research is published in the July 7, 2011 issue of the journal
Nature
by Steve Cande and Dave Stegman. The earthquakes in Southeast Australia (i.e, Victoria) is part
of activity happening at some world locations around magma plumes - and the process is accelerating.
References:
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List of earthquakes in Australia. (Wikipedia)
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Powerful tsunami on Australian east coast is inevitable - Australian Tsunami Research Centre Mike Hedge, news.com.au, July 04, 2011
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Warnings of volcanic eruptions (includes Korumburra tremors).Channel 7 News, July 5, 2011
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Measuring the speed of earthchanges by monitoring the planet’s pulse. The Extinction Protocol: 2012 and beyond (blog), July 8, 2011.
The copyright of the article Earthquakes in Victoria, Australia: A Historical Perspective is owned by Harry P. Schlanger. Permission to republish in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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