What was the cause of the Newcastle Earthquake?
The magnitude 5.6 quake that struck Newcastle, in New South Wales, on December 28, 1989, killed 13 people, injured 160, and caused 3.5 billion U.S. dollars worth of damage. That quake was triggered by changes in tectonic forces caused by 200 years of underground coal mining, according to a study by Christian D.
Which earthquake hazard caused the most damage in Newcastle?
At 10.27am 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.
Does mining cause earthquakes?
According to the report’s data, found on a publicly accessible database, mining accounted for the highest number of human-induced earthquakes worldwide (many earthquakes clustered around 271 sites). The removal of material from the earth can cause instability, leading to sudden collapses that trigger earthquakes.
What natural disaster killed 13 people in Newcastle NSW in 1989?
The 1989 Newcastle earthquake
The 1989 Newcastle earthquake was an intraplate earthquake that occurred in Newcastle, New South Wales on Thursday, 28 December. The shock measured 5.6 on the Richter magnitude scale and was one of Australia’s most serious natural disasters, killing 13 people and injuring more than 160.
What tectonic plates caused the Newcastle Earthquake?
It collides with the Eurasian, Philippine and Pacific plates causing a build up of stress in the 25km thick crust. This is what causes earthquakes in Australia when the pressure is released. In fact, the 1989, Newcastle earthquake was caused by these natural geographical processes.
How did Newcastle Earthquake 1989?
On 28 December 1989 at 10:27am, an earthquake measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale hit Newcastle. The earthquake’s epicentre was approximately 15 kilometres from Newcastle’s central business district. The earthquake caused 13 fatalities; 160 people were injured.
Which type of earthquake occurred due to mining activities?
Collapse earthquakes: These type of earthquakes occurs in the areas of intense mining activities.
Can mine Collapse Cause earthquake?
A sudden mine collapse can release the same amount of energy as a magnitude 3.9 earthquake, so an earthquake or the collapse of the mine itself could have generated the recorded seismic waves. Within three days of the collapse, seismologists became forensic investigators in the case.
How did Newcastle earthquake 1989?
Can quarrying cause earthquakes?
Blasting in mines and quarries can also cause ground shaking that is similar to the ground shaking from an earthquake. And, in addition, some earthquakes might occur that are caused by hydraulic fracking or from the injection of waste fluids into deep storage wells. These earthquakes are known as induced earthquakes.
Is Newcastle is an earthquake zone?
The Newcastle area zone dominates the earthquake hazard for Newcastle (see Figure 9). Earthquakes in this zone can be smoothed over a wide area such as the large polygon model above, or they could be assumed to reflect the long-term activity.
Will Newcastle have another earthquake?
But Professor Bill Collins, from the university’s Institute for Frontiers Geoscience, is not convinced we’ll experience another earthquake in Newcastle any time soon.
Can open pit mining cause earthquakes?
Seismicity has also been associated with open-pit mining, quarrying, and the flooding of inactive mines that had been kept artificially dry via pumping during mining operations.
Does mining cause earthquakes in Newcastle?
Research data, analysed over decades, suggest that mining has caused seismic activity in and around Newcastle.
Did mining play a part in the 1989 Newcastle disaster?
However, it can be argued that mining played a large part in the destruction wrought in 1989 upon Newcastle, with its proximity to underground black-coal mining. Newcastle’s first coalfield opened in 1801.
Are buildings in Newcastle ready for an earthquake?
Despite records of previous earthquakes in the area, even the most recent construction codes in Newcastle at the time of the earthquake (issued in 1979) required neither the adoption of earthquake-resistant design nor the strengthening of old buildings, although they did encourage owners to provide more than the minimum strength.
How many people died in the Newcastle earthquake?
The earthquake claimed 13 lives: nine people died at the Newcastle Workers Club, three people were killed along Beaumont Street in Hamilton, and one person died of shock 300,000 people were affected and 1,000 were made homeless 50,000 buildings were damaged (approximately 35,000 of these were homes) 300 buildings were demolished