- A small earthquake was recorded in Tasmania
- Residents shaken by a small earthquake
- READ MORE: Earthquake shakes South Australia with 4.2 magnitude tremor near Jamestown
A magnitude 1.8 earthquake struck the small town of Longley in southern Tasmania shortly after 10pm on Sunday.
Geoscience Australia, the government agency that reports major earthquakes, received more than 35 sensation reports from residents as far as Kingston, Blackmans Bay and Margate.
Seismologist Phil Cummins said it was surprising and impressive how many people felt the shaking.
‘I’m a little surprised there are so many reports, but it could be that it is close enough to populated areas. “It was a generally weak tremor, but they are quite a few for such a small earthquake,” he said. The Mercury.
Geoscience Australia received more than 35 reports from residents of Kingston, Blackmans Bay and Margate.
Cummins said there were several reasons why people might feel it.
“It could just be a random chance that someone is more likely to feel it, but it could also be that some people have houses on soft ground that amplify the shaking a little bit,” he explained.
He added that getting those heartfelt reports helps experts understand more about the behavior of earthquakes and their seismic waves.
No injuries or property damage have been reported.
Mr Cummins said further earthquakes were unlikely and were not common in and around Hobart.
“Earthquakes can occur anywhere in Australia due to the gradual build-up of stress in the Australian crust caused by forces transmitted from the plate boundary thousands of kilometers away,” he said.
Last year, a magnitude 3.4 earthquake was recorded west of Tasmania’s northwestern tip.
