Residents across Melbourne were woken last night rocked by a 3.8 magnitude earthquake.
On Sunday night, Melbourne was rocked by a rare and shallow earthquake – the largest to hit the city in over 120 years. The 3.8 magnitude quake occurred at 11:41pm at Sunbury, about 35km north-west of Melbourne’s CBD, and lasted for around 10-20 seconds.
The tremors were felt across much of the city, with many locals reporting that their homes shook and they were woken up from their sleep. Geoscience Australia confirmed that the epicentre of the quake was located in Sunbury, with tremors lasting between 30 and 40 seconds reported in 2021 near Mansfield, 180km north-east of Melbourne.
In response to the earthquake, Victoria’s emergency services have been working hard to assess any potential damage caused by the tremor. So far there have been no reports of major destruction or injuries as a result of the quake, however some residents have reported minor damages such as broken windows and objects falling off shelves.
Victoria’s Minister for Emergency Services Lisa Neville has urged people to remain vigilant in case of aftershocks or further seismic activity in the area. She said: “We know that earthquakes can cause significant disruption so it is important that we all remain prepared.”
The recent earthquake has raised questions about seismic activity in Victoria and whether larger quakes could occur in future. Dr David Pascale from Geoscience Australia said: “Earthquakes are common throughout Australia but they are usually small magnitude events…It is possible for larger earthquakes to occur here but they are very rare.” He also warned that aftershocks may still be felt following Sunday night’s tremor.
Overall, while this recent earthquake was relatively mild compared to other seismic events around the world, it serves as an important reminder for Victorians to be prepared for future seismic activity and take necessary precautions such as securing furniture or heavy items within their homes.
Sources:
- https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/29/australia/melbourne-largest-earthquake-intl-hnk/index.html
- https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/may/29/victoria-earthquake-sunbury-melbourne-residents-feel-38-magnitude-quake-in
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