A shallow Magnitude 4.2 earthquake struck under land 86 kilometer from Maitland in Australia around noon of Tuesday November 12th, 2024.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Australia, 86 kilometer (53 mi) west-northwest of Maitland in New South Wales. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 10 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Nov 12, 2024 12:12 (Sydney Time) - Nov 12, 2024 01:12 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 86 km WNW of Maitland, New South Wales, Australia. Coordinates 32°19'0"S 150°46'41"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 4.2 Detected by 9 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.176 . |
| Depth: | 10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Tsunami very unlikely While this was a shallow earthquake, it appears to have occurred under land with a magnitude not strong enough to cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake may have been felt in Australia . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Cessnock in New South Wales, Australia. Cessnock is located 79 kilometer (49 mi) northwest of the epicenter.
Multiple major population centers exist within 300km of the earthquake that struck today. Sydney is located 177 km to the south-southeast. Newcastle is located 116 km to the south-east. Wollongong is located 235 km to the south.
An overview of nearby towns and cities is available in the overview below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 79 km (49 mi) SE from epicenter |
Cessnock New South Wales, Australia. |
| 86 km (53 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Maitland New South Wales, Australia. |
| 116 km (72 mi) SE from epicenter |
Newcastle New South Wales, Australia. |
| 137 km (85 mi) N from epicenter |
Tamworth New South Wales, Australia. |
| 143 km (89 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Umina Beach New South Wales, Australia. |
| 155 km (96 mi) S from epicenter |
Cranebrook New South Wales, Australia. |
| 156 km (97 mi) S from epicenter |
Kellyville New South Wales, Australia. |
| 157 km (98 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Hornsby New South Wales, Australia. |
| 158 km (98 mi) S from epicenter |
Glenwood New South Wales, Australia. |
| 158 km (98 mi) S from epicenter |
Quakers Hill New South Wales, Australia. |
| 158 km (98 mi) S from epicenter |
Cherrybrook New South Wales, Australia. |
| 159 km (99 mi) S from epicenter |
Castle Hill New South Wales, Australia. |
| 159 km (99 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Wahroonga New South Wales, Australia. |
| 161 km (100 mi) S from epicenter |
Mount Druitt New South Wales, Australia. |
| 161 km (100 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Saint Ives New South Wales, Australia. |
| 161 km (100 mi) S from epicenter |
West Pennant Hills New South Wales, Australia. |
| 162 km (101 mi) S from epicenter |
Blacktown New South Wales, Australia. |
| 162 km (101 mi) S from epicenter |
Baulkham Hills New South Wales, Australia. |
| 164 km (102 mi) S from epicenter |
Epping New South Wales, Australia. |
| 164 km (102 mi) S from epicenter |
Seven Hills New South Wales, Australia. |
| 164 km (102 mi) S from epicenter |
Glenmore Park New South Wales, Australia. |
| 165 km (103 mi) S from epicenter |
Carlingford New South Wales, Australia. |
| 165 km (103 mi) S from epicenter |
St Clair New South Wales, Australia. |
| 166 km (103 mi) S from epicenter |
Eastwood New South Wales, Australia. |
| 166 km (103 mi) SW from epicenter |
Bathurst New South Wales, Australia. |
| 166 km (103 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Dee Why New South Wales, Australia. |
| 167 km (104 mi) S from epicenter |
Westmead New South Wales, Australia. |
| 168 km (104 mi) S from epicenter |
Parramatta New South Wales, Australia. |
| 168 km (104 mi) S from epicenter |
Greystanes New South Wales, Australia. |
| 169 km (105 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Chatswood New South Wales, Australia. |
| 170 km (106 mi) S from epicenter |
Ryde New South Wales, Australia. |
| 170 km (106 mi) S from epicenter |
Merrylands New South Wales, Australia. |
| 171 km (106 mi) S from epicenter |
Granville New South Wales, Australia. |
| 172 km (107 mi) S from epicenter |
Auburn New South Wales, Australia. |
| 174 km (108 mi) S from epicenter |
Lidcombe New South Wales, Australia. |
| 175 km (109 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Mosman New South Wales, Australia. |
| 176 km (109 mi) S from epicenter |
Cabramatta New South Wales, Australia. |
| 176 km (109 mi) S from epicenter |
Strathfield New South Wales, Australia. |
| 177 km (110 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Sydney Central Business District New South Wales, Australia. |
| 177 km (110 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Sydney New South Wales, Australia. |
| 178 km (111 mi) S from epicenter |
Ashfield New South Wales, Australia. |
| 178 km (111 mi) S from epicenter |
Greenacre New South Wales, Australia. |
| 179 km (111 mi) S from epicenter |
Bankstown New South Wales, Australia. |
| 179 km (111 mi) S from epicenter |
Liverpool New South Wales, Australia. |
| 180 km (112 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Marrickville New South Wales, Australia. |
| 180 km (112 mi) S from epicenter |
Campsie New South Wales, Australia. |
| 183 km (114 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Randwick New South Wales, Australia. |
| 186 km (116 mi) S from epicenter |
Hurstville New South Wales, Australia. |
| 186 km (116 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Maroubra New South Wales, Australia. |
| 190 km (118 mi) SW from epicenter |
Orange New South Wales, Australia. |
| 235 km (146 mi) S from epicenter |
Wollongong New South Wales, Australia. |
Shaking reported by 942 people
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 942 people have reported shaking in 10 places, all within Australia.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.
Places with most reports:
- Muswellbrook, New South Wales, Australia: 796 people.
- Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia: 76 people.
- Mudgee, New South Wales, Australia: 59 people.
- Singleton, New South Wales, Australia: 3 people.
- Forster-Tuncurry, New South Wales, Australia: 2 people.
- Wangi-Rathmines, New South Wales, Australia: 2 people.
- Cessnock, New South Wales, Australia: 1 person.
- Gunnedah, New South Wales, Australia: 1 person.
- Nelson Bay, New South Wales, Australia: 1 person.
- Richmond-Windsor, New South Wales, Australia: 1 person.
Risk of aftershocks?
We monitor for foreshocks or aftershocks that have a magnitude of 2.5+ and occur within 100km (62 mi) of the epicenter of this earthquake. So far no such earthquakes have been detected.
Aftershocks are usually at least 1 order of magnitude less strong than main shocks. The more time passes, the smaller the chance and likely strength of any potential aftershocks.
In only six percent of cases, significant earthquakes are followed by a larger main shock, making the current earthquake a foreshock. While the chance of this happening is not so large, it is adviced to maintain cautiousness in the hours and days following a major earthquake.
Read: How to Stay Safe during an Earthquake (cdc.gov).Earthquakes like this are common in the region
Earthquakes of this strength occur quite regularly in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since September 6th, 2024, when a 4.6 magnitude earthquake hit 7 km (4 mi) further west. An even stronger magnitude 4.8 earthquake struck on August 23rd, 2024.
In total, 3 earthquakes with a magnitude of 4.2 or higher have been registered within 300km (186 mi) of this epicenter in the past 10 years. This comes down to an average of once every 3 years.
Tsunami very unlikely
While MAG-6.5+ earthquakes may cause tsunami's, it appears that the epicenter of this earthquake hit under land. In addition, the reported depth is deeper than 100km, making the risk of a tsunami even less likely. However always stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.
Tsunami Risk Factors
| Factor | Under Sea? | MAG-6.5 or stronger? | Shallow depth? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explanation | Almost all tsunami's are caused by earthquakes with their epicenter under sea or very near the sea. However stay cautious in coastal areas as earthquakes on land may cause landslides into sea, potentially still causing a local tsunami. | Under MAG 6.5: Very unlikely to cause a tsunami. MAG 6.5 to 7.5: Destructive tsunami's do occur, but are uncommon. Likely to observe small sea level changes. MAG 7.6+: Earthquakes with these magnitudes might produce destructive tsunami's. |
Most destructive tsunami's are caused by shallow earthquakes with a depth between 0 and 100km under the surface of the earth. Deeper tsunami's are unlikely to displace to ocean floor. |
| This Earthquake | Not this earthquake. This earthquake appears to have struck on land far from any coast. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 4.2. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 10 km (6 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 15/11/24 00:08 (). As more information on this earthquake becomes available this article will be updated. This article is automatically composed based on data originating from multiple sources.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000nraj
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20241112_0000011
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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