Mag 5.0 Earthquake NSW

The  earthquake struck just after midday on Friday, August 23, 2024. Video by Geoscience Australia

Transcript

00:00Why are we here today?

00:05The Magnitude 5 earthquake in Musselbrook region that happened around noon today.

00:13Actually we received a significant number of more than 1,600 felt reports so far and

00:18it is increasing as we speak.

00:20And I have seen, you know, even felt reports from Wollongong region, which is a couple

00:24of hundred kilometers south of the epicenter area.

00:29So far, after the main shock itself, we have registered more than two aftershocks.

00:35The first one was a magnitude 3.3, I believe.

00:38And the second one that was followed was a magnitude 2.9.

00:42And there is always a possibility that aftershocks would continue for the weeks to come.

00:47But as a general rule of thumb, the larger aftershocks tend to occur at the early stages

00:54of the earthquake main shock, aftershock sequence.

00:58The frequency starts to decay, you know, as the time goes by.

01:02It is not unusual for the earthquakes to occur close to the mines because the mines are actually

01:07located close to the fault lines.

01:09And the fault lines provide the passage, you know, for the fluids to go through them and

01:13deposit, you know, valuable minerals.

01:16But the same process can actually increase the likelihood of earthquake occurrence.