Written by on . Last updated December 3rd, 2024.

A shallow Magnitude 4.2 earthquake struck under land 91 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, 91 kilometer (57 mi) 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: 91 km NW of Maitland, New South Wales, Australia.
Coordinates 32°15'58"S 150°45'53"E.
Map: Map of area around epicenter.
Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude: MAG 4.2
Detected by 10 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.167 .
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 84 kilometer (52 mi) northwest of the epicenter.

Multiple major population centers exist within 300km of the earthquake that struck today. Sydney is located 183 km to the south-southeast. Newcastle is located 120 km to the south-east. Wollongong is located 240 km to the south.

An overview of nearby towns and cities is available in the overview below.

Overview of nearby places

Distance Place
84 km (52 mi)
SE from epicenter
Cessnock

New South Wales, Australia.
91 km (57 mi)
SE from epicenter
Maitland

New South Wales, Australia.
120 km (75 mi)
SE from epicenter
Newcastle

New South Wales, Australia.
132 km (82 mi)
N from epicenter
Tamworth

New South Wales, Australia.
149 km (93 mi)
SSE from epicenter
Umina Beach

New South Wales, Australia.
160 km (99 mi)
S from epicenter
Cranebrook

New South Wales, Australia.
162 km (101 mi)
S from epicenter
Kellyville

New South Wales, Australia.
163 km (101 mi)
SSE from epicenter
Hornsby

New South Wales, Australia.
164 km (102 mi)
ENE from epicenter
Taree

New South Wales, Australia.
164 km (102 mi)
S from epicenter
Cherrybrook

New South Wales, Australia.
164 km (102 mi)
S from epicenter
Quakers Hill

New South Wales, Australia.
164 km (102 mi)
S from epicenter
Glenwood

New South Wales, Australia.
165 km (103 mi)
S from epicenter
Castle Hill

New South Wales, Australia.
165 km (103 mi)
SSE from epicenter
Wahroonga

New South Wales, Australia.
167 km (104 mi)
S from epicenter
Blacktown

New South Wales, Australia.
167 km (104 mi)
SSE from epicenter
Saint Ives

New South Wales, Australia.
167 km (104 mi)
S from epicenter
Mount Druitt

New South Wales, Australia.
167 km (104 mi)
S from epicenter
Baulkham Hills

New South Wales, Australia.
169 km (105 mi)
SW from epicenter
Bathurst

New South Wales, Australia.
169 km (105 mi)
S from epicenter
Seven Hills

New South Wales, Australia.
170 km (106 mi)
S from epicenter
Epping

New South Wales, Australia.
170 km (106 mi)
S from epicenter
St Clair

New South Wales, Australia.
170 km (106 mi)
S from epicenter
Glenmore Park

New South Wales, Australia.
171 km (106 mi)
S from epicenter
Carlingford

New South Wales, Australia.
172 km (107 mi)
S from epicenter
Westmead

New South Wales, Australia.
172 km (107 mi)
SSE from epicenter
Dee Why

New South Wales, Australia.
172 km (107 mi)
S from epicenter
Eastwood

New South Wales, Australia.
174 km (108 mi)
S from epicenter
Greystanes

New South Wales, Australia.
174 km (108 mi)
S from epicenter
Parramatta

New South Wales, Australia.
175 km (109 mi)
SSE from epicenter
Chatswood

New South Wales, Australia.
175 km (109 mi)
S from epicenter
Merrylands

New South Wales, Australia.
176 km (109 mi)
S from epicenter
Ryde

New South Wales, Australia.
177 km (110 mi)
S from epicenter
Granville

New South Wales, Australia.
178 km (111 mi)
S from epicenter
Auburn

New South Wales, Australia.
180 km (112 mi)
SSE from epicenter
Mosman

New South Wales, Australia.
180 km (112 mi)
S from epicenter
Lidcombe

New South Wales, Australia.
182 km (113 mi)
SSE from epicenter
Sydney Central Business District

New South Wales, Australia.
182 km (113 mi)
S from epicenter
Strathfield

New South Wales, Australia.
182 km (113 mi)
S from epicenter
Cabramatta

New South Wales, Australia.
183 km (114 mi)
S from epicenter
Ashfield

New South Wales, Australia.
183 km (114 mi)
SSE from epicenter
Sydney

New South Wales, Australia.
184 km (114 mi)
S from epicenter
Liverpool

New South Wales, Australia.
184 km (114 mi)
S from epicenter
Greenacre

New South Wales, Australia.
185 km (115 mi)
S from epicenter
Bankstown

New South Wales, Australia.
186 km (116 mi)
S from epicenter
Campsie

New South Wales, Australia.
186 km (116 mi)
SSE from epicenter
Marrickville

New South Wales, Australia.
189 km (117 mi)
SSE from epicenter
Randwick

New South Wales, Australia.
192 km (119 mi)
S from epicenter
Hurstville

New South Wales, Australia.
192 km (119 mi)
SSE from epicenter
Maroubra

New South Wales, Australia.
192 km (119 mi)
SW from epicenter
Orange

New South Wales, Australia.
240 km (149 mi)
S from epicenter
Wollongong

New South Wales, Australia.
Cities and Towns around the epicenter of this earthquake.

Shaking reported by 19 people

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 19 people have reported shaking in 9 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: 7 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.
  • Newcastle, 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 8 km (5 mi) further southwest. 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

DISCLAIMER: We strongly suggest to closely monitor advice from local authorities with regards to tsunami risks. Our analysis is based on automatically collected data from external sources, and these might contain mistakes. In addition, earthquakes can cause landslides that may lead to a tsunami, or be a followed by another, potentially stonger, earthquake.

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 03/12/24 00:28 (). 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.

  1. US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000nraj
  2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20241112_0000011
  3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
  4. Google Maps: Static API
  5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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