Earthquakes Fact Sheet (Newcastle M5.4 earthquake, 30th anniversary, 4 pages)

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Created 20/01/2025

Updated 20/01/2025

An earthquake is the sudden release of energy and ground shaking resulting from rocks breaking and moving along a fault line under stress from plate tectonic forces. The focus is the initiation point of the earthquake deep within the Earth, while the epicentre is the vertical projection of the focus on the Earth’s surface. Earthquakes most commonly occur near the boundaries of tectonic plates, such as around the ‘Pacific Rim of Fire.’ However, they can also occur within stable tectonic regions, like Australia. It is important to remember that large earthquakes can occur anywhere in Australia, and without warning, even in regions of low levels historical seismicity. At 10.27 am on Thursday, 28 December 1989, Newcastle was devastated by an ML 5.6 (MW 5.4) earthquake. This was one of the most significant natural disasters in Australia’s history. This flyer was prepared for the Newcastle Museum to mark the 30th anniversary of this disaster.

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Title Earthquakes Fact Sheet (Newcastle M5.4 earthquake, 30th anniversary, 4 pages)
Language eng
Licence notspecified
Landing Page https://devweb.dga.links.com.au/data/dataset/2cadfad1-3b57-42a0-b9a9-7b62f3f09a51
Contact Point
Geoscience Australia
clientservices@ga.gov.au
Reference Period 31/07/2019
Geospatial Coverage {"type": "Polygon", "coordinates": [[[151.4637, -33.0955], [152.0022, -33.0955], [152.0022, -32.7668], [151.4637, -32.7668], [151.4637, -33.0955]]]}
Data Portal data.gov.au