Pollyana

Brisbane Valley (Esk) earthquake...2.8.....glad it wasn't any stronger, would've spilt my beer!!

GarryP

Earthquakes @ GA — Earthquake Details

Hmm, 5.3 this time, and I would assume associated with the same geological structures as the 2.8 one.

Enough to spill a pint ...


Thrust moment for this one I think.

Maybe the next one will be even bigger and generate a tsunami to wash away the Sunshine Coast....

Pollyana

They've had a couple of aftershocks too. one day something of a reasonable size will hit onshore in that North Burnett area, i'm convinced of it. But many Queenslanders in their usual "she'll be right" fashion refuse to acknowledge there is any kind of threat.

GarryP

There's one guy saying these could be foreshocks, rather than aftershocks:

Gold Coast Earthquake 2015: Queensland Australia Earthquake Warning | Gold Coast Bulletin

Mind, even the unversity departments are "she'll be right, NSW will get hit instead".

joandpete1

Was in tokyo last year and experienced an earthquake there all very scary, didn't know we would have them so close in the sunny QLD.

Pollyana

I remember reading a report a few years ago talking about the possibility of a serious quake in Queensland, and the fact that there is an ever increasing amount of research going on.
We certainly have more awareness now at work of even the smallest tremor across the state, and the threat is taken more seriously now than when I started there 10 years ago. However thats within a department that focuses on disaster management and mitigation. When you get to talking to the majority of people they are either unaware the threat exists, or simply don't believe it. Even mentioning the Newcastle quake gets little reaction -because it was south of the border they just shrug it off.
Personally, I think we have been lucky so far, sizeable quakes have been offshore and non-tsunamigenic, or in remote areas and so largely unnoticed, but the luck has to run out one day.

Pollyana

Most of the tremors are so small they go unnoticed, certainly nothing like the number or magnitude that occur in Japan. However the potential exists for a reasonably sized one to hit Queensland at some point.

GarryP

And another one, slightly bigger, in the same spot, less than an hour ago:

Earthquakes @ GA — Earthquake Details

Pollyana

Oh I'm so glad I'm on leave

GarryP

I keep getting the quote "a suitably biblical end for the place" running through my head ....

Pollyana

Pollyana

Earthquakes @ GA — Earthquake Details

Geoscience Australia has detected an earthquake at:
218km North-East of Brisbane
Coral Sea
Offshore Australia

Magnitude: 4.0 ml, 4 stations used
Universal Time: 14th Aug 2015 01:06:54
Latitude, Longitude: 25.630S, 154.380E - Google Map
Depth: 0 km
Event ID: GA1031680

The final earthquake report, including damage radius and felt radius, will be available soon at Geoscience Australia — Earthquakes @ GA.