Earthquake recorded in north Queensland
The Queensland University Advanced Centre for Earthquake Studies (QUAKES) recorded an earthquake in north Queensland last night at 10.26pm Thursday 25 March 1999. It had an estimated magnitude of 2.6.
The earthquake was felt in the communities of Ravenswood and Mingela. No damage has been reported..
A number of local residents were awakened by the earthquake, with many reporting that it felt like a nearby explosion. Some local residents also reported feeling a smaller earthquake at approximately 8:30 PM the same evening.
Members of the public who felt these events are encouraged to contact QUAKES' Senior Observer Mr. Col Lynam at (07) 3365 3197.
Seismologists at QUAKES estimated the epicentre of the earthquake was 58 kilometres southeast of Charters Towers. QUAKES' seismologist, Dr. Steven
Jaume, said that the estimate of the earthquake's magnitude and location was likely to change slightly as more data is received.
Dr. Jaume said Thursday night's tremor occurred in a region of Queensland which had a record of earthquake activity. A magnitude 3.0 earthquake was felt in the same district on 24 October 1997.
"This region is also the location of the largest historical earthquake in north Queensland,'' Dr. Jaume said.
"That earthquake occurred on 13 December 1913 and had an estimated magnitude of 5.7. The 1913 earthquake was felt from Cairns in the north to Clermont in the south, a distance of 700 kilometres."
In addition to earthquake monitoring and earthquake hazard research in Queensland, QUAKES also conducts internationally recognized supercomputer simulation research into the earthquake process. QUAKES is the headquarters of the APEC Consortium for Earthquake Simulation (ACES), an international consortium of leading earthquake simulation researchers involving China, Japan, and the USA. QUAKES hosted the Inaugural ACES Workshop in February this year.
For further information contact
Dr. Steven Jaume, Seismologist, QUAKES Phone: (07) 3365 2176 Fax: (07) 3365 7347
(Queensland University Advanced Centre for Earthquake Studies)
The Department of Earth Sciences
The University of Queensland
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