Geoscience Australia confirmed the occurrence of an earthquake north of Glenorchy near Stawell this morning, and a look through the archived confirms that these events are not as rare in the Wimmera as many might think.
This morning’s ‘quake which was felt across Western Victora occurred just before 8 am at a depth of eleven kilometres and was measured at a magnitude of 3.5
Three years ago on 14 January 2018 the Dimboola Courier reported on three tremors centred on an area north-west of Lake Albacutya which ranged in magnitude from 2.1 to 3.2.
Swan Hill experienced one on 27 October 2001 that measured 4.8.
A 5 magnitude earthquake, one of the strongest felt in the Wimmera, was reported in the Big Desert on 23 December 1987 centred 12 kilometres north-east of the township of Yanac, which earned it the name the Yanac Quakeand was felt as far away as Hopetoun, Jeparit, Nhill, Natimuk, Ararat, Warracknabeal, and Balmoral.
Other notable earthquakes in the Wimmera over the last 120 years were reported in the Wartook area in April 1898, Edenhope in 1902, Ararat in May 1907, Marnoo, not far from today’s event in 1969, the Rocklands area in 1976 and 1977, Murtoa in 1977, and in June and July 1985 to the south-west of Horsham.
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