'Swarms' of earthquakes hit Port Hedland area as multiple tremors hit city in one day

Briefly:

Four earthquakes struck near the town of Port Hedland in just over 12 hours, in what was described as a “swarm” of quakes.

The initial 3.1-magnitude quake was likely a “foreshock” that preceded the subsequent 3.8-magnitude quake and other aftershocks, the Australian Geoscience Service said.

What then?

Residents expect more aftershocks, but they are not expected to be large.

A wave of earthquakes has hit the mining town of Port Hedland in the Pilbara region, with four minor quakes recorded in just over 12 hours.

A 3.8 magnitude earthquake struck a town 1,600 kilometres north of Perth, followed by two aftershocks measuring 3.6 and 3.5.

The Australian Geoscience Service described the 3.1 magnitude earthquake that struck early in the morning 70 kilometres south of the city as a “foreshock”.

The two larger quakes struck the remote Aboriginal community of Strelley, 50 kilometres southeast of Port Hedland.

A fourth earthquake was recorded near the centre of Port Hedland on Thursday afternoon.

Port Hedland resident Nick Roberts said the larger quake, which struck at 11:39 a.m. local time, felt like a truck had gone through the building.

“It was very short and sharp,” he said.

The four earthquakes were relatively shallow, at a depth of ten kilometers.

No major damage was reported from the earthquakes.

A 3.8 magnitude earthquake and a 3.6 magnitude quake struck southeast of Port Hedland on Thursday, the Australian Geoscience Agency said. (Source: Australian Geoscience Agency)

Five earthquakes of magnitude greater than 3.0 in the past month

Over the past decade, 13 earthquakes of magnitude greater than 3.0 have been recorded within 100 kilometres of Port Hedland.

Five of these incidents were recorded in the past month, and four of them have already been recorded today.

The Australian Geoscience Service described the series of events as a “swarm” of earthquakes.

Chief seismologist Dr. Hadi Ghasemi said it was not unusual for small earthquakes to occur in the region, but it was not unusual for an aftershock to be larger than the initial quake.

“The possibility of aftershocks is always there,” he said.

“But if an aftershock does occur, the aftershock, in general, will be much smaller than the main shock itself.”

Dr. Qasemi said the first earthquake was weaker than the second and could be classified as a “precursor earthquake.”

“We know that there is a small percentage of earthquakes that are followed by a larger earthquake nearby,” he said.

“It's not frequent, but it's not uncommon.”

Possibility of mining-induced earthquakes

The Pilbara region is home to some of Australia's largest mining sites. (Source: Pilbara Ports)

Last month, Port Hedland residents woke up to another earthquake 30 kilometres to the southeast, measuring 3.5 on the Richter scale.

On Saturday, June 8, residents said they heard a loud explosion, followed by shaking that lasted for several seconds.

The region is known for its mining industry, with major iron ore and lithium producing companies operating in the area.

Dr. Qasemi said it was well established that mining activities could lead to earthquakes, but he acknowledged that the region had a recorded history of earthquakes over a long period of time.

In this particular case we cannot say for sure [what was the trigger],” He said.

“If you look at the background of the area, small earthquakes are expected.”

Sunday marks the fifth anniversary of the 6.6 magnitude earthquake that struck the Broome coast in 2019.

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Posted 7 hours ago Thursday, July 11, 2024 at 6:11 AM, Updated 3 hours ago Thursday, July 11, 2024 at 10:39 AM

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