An unusually powerful M4.8 earthquake struck under land 198 kilometer from Dubbo in Australia in the night of Saturday May 24th, 2025.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Australia, 198 kilometer (123 mi) northwest of Dubbo in New South Wales. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 3 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | May 24, 2025 02:36 (Sydney Time) - May 23, 2025 16:36 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 198 km NW of Dubbo, New South Wales, Australia. Coordinates 30°48'13"S 147°22'53"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 4.8 Detected by 8 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.11 . |
| Depth: | 3 km (2 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 Dubbo in New South Wales, Australia. Dubbo is located 198 kilometer (123 mi) northwest of the epicenter.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 198 km (123 mi) SE from epicenter |
Dubbo New South Wales, Australia. |
Shaking reported by 30 people
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 30 people have reported shaking in 11 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:
- Dubbo, New South Wales, Australia: 13 people.
- Gunnedah, New South Wales, Australia: 4 people.
- Narrabri, New South Wales, Australia: 4 people.
- Brisbane, Queensland, Australia: 2 people.
- Forbes, New South Wales, Australia: 1 person.
- Murwillumbah, New South Wales, Australia: 1 person.
- Orange, New South Wales, Australia: 1 person.
- Sydney, New South Wales, Australia: 1 person.
- Taree, New South Wales, Australia: 1 person.
- Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia: 1 person.
4 Aftershocks detected
This main shock was followed by 4 smaller aftershocks. A 3.9 magnitude earthquake hit 7 mins later 4 km (2.6 mi) southwest of this earthquake.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 4.8 |
May 24, 2025 02:36 (Sydney Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 3.9 |
7 mins later May 24, 2025 02:43 (Sydney Time) | 4 km (2.6 mi) SW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.6 |
3 hrs later May 24, 2025 05:43 (Sydney Time) | 2 km (1.2 mi) SSE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.1 |
9 hrs later May 24, 2025 11:46 (Sydney Time) | 2.3 km (1.4 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.5 |
10 hrs later May 24, 2025 13:03 (Sydney Time) | 5 km (2.8 mi) SSW from Main Shock. |
More earthquakes coming?
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).This is an unusually powerful earthquake
No earthquake of this strength has struck this region for a long time. Our data goes back 10 years, and no earthquakes measuring a magnitude of 4.8 or higher have been detected within 300 km (186 mi) of this epicenter.
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 4.8. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 3 km (2 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 16/06/25 19:48 (). This article is automatically generated based on available data. We keep checking multiple sources for additional information. This article gets updated as new details on this earthquake become available.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000q14n
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20250523_0000187
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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