Over the past twelve hours, the mining town of Port Hedland in Western Australia’s Pilbara region has been shaken by multiple small earthquakes. One of these was a 3.9 magnitude earthquake that hit the area. It was followed by two more minor aftershocks.
According to Geoscience Australia, a 3.1-magnitude earthquake that occurred early this morning was aftershock.
Two powerful earthquakes hit the Strelley Aboriginal community, which is about 50 kilometers away from Port Hedland.
A fourth earthquake was also recorded near the town of Port Hedland on Thursday afternoon.
According to Nick Roberts, the biggest quake felt like a truck had crashed through his building.
According to him, the quakes were short and sharp. None of them appeared to have caused significant damage.
Over the past decade, there have been 16 earthquakes with magnitude 3.0 or greater recorded within a hundred kilometers of Port Hedland.
Over the past month, eight small earthquakes have been recorded. These were described by Geoscience Australia as “swarm earthquakes.”
Dr. Hadi Ghasemi, a seismologist, said that although it was not unusual for small earthquakes to occur in the region, it was rare for an aftershock to have a magnitude greater than the one that occurred earlier.
Although an aftershock might occur following a major earthquake, it generally tends to be smaller than the initial seismic activity.
According to Dr. Hadi Ghasemi, if an aftershock follows a weaker earthquake, then it might be considered a “foreshock.”
He noted that there were a small number of seismic activities that are followed by larger ones.
In June, residents of Port Hedlander were woken up by a 3.5-magnitude earthquake, which occurred 30 kilometers away from the town.
They said they heard a loud bang before experiencing several seconds of intense shaking.
The area is known for its mining activities, with major lithium and iron ore producers operating in it.
Although it has been known that mining activities in the region could lead to earthquakes, Dr. Ghasemi noted that the region also has a long history of seismic activity.
On Sunday, it will be five years since a powerful earthquake struck off the coast near Broome.