Another 4.5-magnitude earthquake rocks Muswellbrook
An earthquake has left more than 2,500 homes without power in Muswellbrook, following similar shocks in recent weeks.
The 4.5-magnitude quake struck at a depth of about 5km near the town just before 6am on Saturday 7 September, according to the Seismology Research Centre.
Nearly 2,750 homes were without still without power at 8am, but Ausgrid said it had restored power to about 1,000 customers.
Officers from Hunter Valley Police District have not been made aware of injury or damage to infrastructure.
However, residents are advised to alert their local relevant authorities of any issues.
The event comes weeks after a 5.0 earthquake shook neighbouring Denman on 23 August, the biggest in the area for 50 years.
That was followed by a 4.5 quake at Muswellbrook the following day.
At the time, Geoscience Australia senior seismologist Dr Hadi Ghasemi told the Newcastle Weekly he expected more to follow.
“I looked at the historical seismicity of the region – the past 20 years in the 100-kilometre radius of the [23 August] event,” he said.
“More than 150 have been recorded in that time.
“The quake at 5.0 was the largest one, previously a 4.4 struck in 2019.”
Dr Ghasemi said the earthquakes often arose near mine sites, with an abundance of them in the valley.
“It’s not unusual for quakes to occur close to those types of locations,” he explained.
“That’s because mines are positioned near the fault lines, while the fault lines provide the passage for the fluids to go through and deposit the valuable minerals.
“However, the same process can actually increase the likelihood of earthquake occurrence.”
with AAP For more news stories: Major work starts on long-awaited Singleton BypassNew deal primes Newcastle Airport for international take-offJohn Hunter Hospital staff blindsided by popular cafe’s closureGet all the latest Newcastle news, sport, real estate, entertainment, lifestyle and more delivered straight to your inbox with the Newcastle Weekly Daily Newsletter. Sign up here.
