M 5.9 Earthquake Strikes Near Melbourne, Tremors Felt Across Southeast Australia

According to Geoscience Australia, an earthquake of magnitude 5.9 struck near Melbourne, in Southern Australia on Wednesday. Reports of minor damage to buildings, and disruption of power lines in the central business district of Melbourne has surfaced due to this quake – making it one of the country’s biggest quakes on record.

The earthquake’s epicentre was near the rural town of Mansfield in the state of Victoria, about 124 miles (200 kilometers) northeast of Melbourne. The depth of the quake was around 6 miles (10 kilometers). As per Geoscience Australia, there was one aftershock of magnitude 4.0, less than half an hour after the initial shock. 

So far, no tsunami threat is issued to the Australian mainland, islands or territories, according to Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology.

The residents felt tremors as far away as Sydney in New South Wales, more than 600 miles away and the Adelaide in South Australia, 500 miles away. However, there were no reports of damage or injuries outside of Melbourne. 

Australia sits in the centre of a tectonic plate and as a result, rarely experiences serious earthquakes, unlike its neighboring country New Zealand. The worst earthquake to ever hit Australia was in 1988 in the Northern Territory, that was of magnitude 6.6. Another deadly earthquake of magnitude 5.6 was recorded in Newcastle in 1989.

Assessing the impact 

EigenPrism users can access the following quick link to immediately overlay the event footprint on their exposure: 

• M 5.9 – 38 km S of Mount Buller, Australia – as of September 21, 2021 

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