Hunter Valley: Tremors Resume in Muswellbrook as EIGHT More Were Detected Since Wednesday

7 September 2024

EDITED: Another 4.5 Magnitude Occurred 3 hours after publishing this article.

NEW INFO: Early this morning morning, yet another earthquake struck the Hunter region, three hours after we originally published this article, adding to the ongoing series. This 4.5-magnitude quake, which occurred near Muswellbrook at a depth of about 5 km, knocked out power to over 2,500 homes. By 8 a.m., Ausgrid had restored power to approximately 1,000 customers, but nearly 1,750 homes remained without electricity. Newy 87.8 was told by a resident in Sydney it was felt in high rises there.

Community members took to social media to share their experiences. Mayor Philip Penfold responded to several comments about the tremor, with residents from various suburbs recounting their own observations. Carissa Ward, from Rutherford, humorously noted, “I thought I felt a shake, but wasn’t sure if it was just my husband snoring.” Similarly, Naomi Morante from East Maitland added, “My bed shook… I thought, well, that’s definitely not a train going past!” Others like Wendy Allomes, in Lorn, described the sound as “a group of runners going by.”

Not all residents felt the tremor, with Emily Cox in Farley and Jason Purcell joking about not being part of the experience. Still, Toni Fuller from Muswellbrook remarked that it was “very scary,”. This mix of reactions, ranging from light-hearted to concerned, reflects the varying ways people perceive seismic events depending on their location and circumstances.

Karen Adnum, a local resident who has been logging the quakes’ dates, times, and intensity, said the recent events reminded her of the 1989 Newcastle earthquake. She recalled initially thinking a truck had struck her building during that event. While the current tremors have caused no major damage, her experience highlights how even minor seismic activity can stir anxiety in communities familiar with past large quakes.

The Sydney Basin, including areas like Muswellbrook, sits on the Indo-Australian Plate, which is moving northeast at about 7 cm per year. This movement is part of a broader tectonic interaction where the Indo-Australian Plate is colliding with the Pacific Plate, causing stress to build up within the plate. Over time, this stress is released as earthquakes. While the Sydney Basin is not located directly on a plate boundary, the internal pressure caused by these tectonic shifts can still result in seismic activity, such as the recent quakes in the Hunter Valley. These geological forces explain why areas in Australia, even far from active plate boundaries, experience earthquakes.

There has been ongoing debate about whether mining activity could trigger earthquakes, particularly in regions like Muswellbrook, where coal mining is prevalent. Some scientists suggest that activities such as deep-core mining can cause changes in the stress distribution within the Earth’s crust, potentially destabilising existing fault lines. This theory has been discussed in relation to past earthquakes in Australia, including the 1989 Newcastle earthquake, where some experts proposed that mining could have contributed to the event. However, it remains difficult to prove definitively. While mining might exacerbate stress in certain areas, many scientists believe that natural tectonic forces are more likely responsible for the recent seismic activity in Muswellbrook

NSW Police issued a statement, confirming that while the tremor was recorded near Muswellbrook, officers from the Hunter Valley Police District have not received reports of any injuries or significant damage to infrastructure. Authorities are advising residents to report any damage or injuries to the SES for further assistance. Emergency services remain on alert, monitoring the situation as the region continues to experience aftershocks.