A 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck off Indonesia’s Darwin city overnight. What makes some areas more vulnerable to it?

When a 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck under the Banda Sea in the early hours of this morning, people hundreds of kilometers away woke up with a jolt.

A few homes on the Tanimbar Islands in Indonesia and two school buildings were damaged, and one person was injured.

But in Australia, damage was minimal, and the Met Office says there is no danger of a tsunami.

We asked Geoscience Australia’s chief seismologist Trevor Allen why this is so, what exactly you should do in the event of an earthquake, and other pressing questions.

Hint, definitely don’t stand in the doorway.

What causes an earthquake?

Basically, the tectonic plates that cover the Earth are constantly colliding with each other and becoming locked into each other. Over time, pressure builds up at the edges of the plate boundaries.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to search, up and down arrows for volume. Duration: 2 min 32 sec 2 m 32 sec A 7.6 magnitude earthquake in Indonesia was felt by much of northern Australia.

When this pressure becomes too great, the rocks will fracture, causing an earthquake.

“What we feel when the ground is shaking is actually the energy that’s released when those rocks break, and that energy travels through the ground,” says Trevor.

“This is what we feel like vibrations.”

The epicenter of this earthquake was in the Banda Sea at a depth of more than 100 km. Authorities say deeper quakes cause less damage but are felt more widely.

What makes the region more vulnerable to it?

Earthquakes can occur in almost any part of Australia at any time. But they are more common at the boundaries of these tectonic plates.

Allen says the Banda Sea is one of the most “tectonically active areas in the world” because Australia’s continental crust approaches tectonic plate boundaries, which is very rare.

“We’re already seeing very large earthquakes at tectonic plate boundaries,” he says.

“Since 1990, there have been approximately 10 earthquakes of magnitude seven or greater. That is approximately one every three years.

Do they occur in a pattern or at a particular time or year?

No, it’s completely random.

And unlike other natural disasters, Allen says their frequency is not affected by climate change.

However, aftershocks are something to beware of, as Geoscience Australia recorded aftershocks of magnitude 5.4 after the earthquake this morning.

Experts say that northern Australia is not far from the most “tectonically active” region in the world. (ABC News: Tristan Hooft) Why were the shakings so long and strong?

Despite being about 600 kilometers away from Australia, Allen says, for an earthquake of this magnitude, the fastest seismic waves travel through the Earth at about seven kilometers per second.

“Because…the different components of seismic energy or vibration, are moving at different speeds…the farther you are from the earthquake, the longer the ground vibrations will be felt,” he says.

Also, as it turns out, the continental crust of northern Australia is really good at transmitting vibrations from earthquakes, which makes its inhabitants more likely to feel them.

“This crust is very old, and it’s very cold and very dense,” says Allen.

“And that means that it actually transmits this rapid vibration of the Earth more efficiently than, say, younger crustal regions or in a volcanic region.”

Do some people feel it more than others?

Yes, and the reason may surprise you. It turns out that there is a certain frequency of the earthquake that actively moves across the crust of northern Australia, and that frequency is very sensitive to humans.

“It turns out that human stomachs are really sensitive to this frequency, which is probably why so many people sensed this event because it creates a resonant frequency inside our stomach,” says Allen.

“Some of us more than others.”

No structural damage was reported in the Northern Territory as a result of Tuesday’s quake (ABC News: Che Chorley) Why didn’t we have a tsunami?

This earthquake hit about 90 kilometers below the Earth’s surface, which means it was too deep to have a significant impact on the ocean floor.

But, tsunamis are certainly a possibility in Australia, as earthquakes in 2004 and 2006 sent tsunamis crashing onto Australian shores.

What should you do if you are hit by an earthquake?

Standing in the doorway during an earthquake is a myth, says Mr. Allen, which is actually a very bad idea.

“Entrances can sway erratically in strong ground shaking, and you could end up with severed fingers or a broken nose,” he says.

The best action is “Drop, Cover, and Hold”. This means getting on all fours, hiding under a sturdy table or next to a wall, and holding on to the leg of the table or wall until the shaking stops, while covering your head with your free hand.

Also, don’t run outside.

“We found that a lot of the injuries that occur in the earthquake are because of the earthquake, because people are trying to evacuate buildings while the ground is unstable, so they might trip and fall,” he says.

“Other times there can be non-structural components of a building such as air conditioning ducts, false ceilings etc. that actually fall down and injure people.”

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