Darwin was shaken, not stirred, by an earthquake on Friday arvo after a 6.2 magnitude quake hit Timor-Leste.
The 6.2 magnitude earthquake — not be confused with “Earthquake” by Labrinth feat. Tinie Tempah — was 65 kilometres deep according to Geoscience Australia.
It lasted for about a half a minute in Darwin, which is certainly one way to spice up your lunch break.
There’s no tsunami threat to Australia according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
No #tsunami threat to Australia from #earthquake felt in Darwin, NT (magnitude 6.4 near Timor Region). See https://t.co/Tynv3Zygqi. pic.twitter.com/PBboAKOgx4
— Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) May 27, 2022
But the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (IOTWMS) has issued a warning for the wider Indian Ocean region. According to the group, the quake could potentially be “capable of generating a tsunami”.
Darwin locals said buildings were shaking, though so far no injuries or substantial property damage has been reported.
https://twitter.com/breethemidwife/status/1530016026188193793?s=20&t=U9XSMBAdrjjQrMyL_AuRxQ
Hello Darwin, earthquake?!
— Vicki Kerrigan (@VickiKerrigan) May 27, 2022
Just experienced a minor earthquake in #Darwin. That was trippy. pic.twitter.com/8SJuJm2EOd
— Leather Collar (@leather_collar) May 27, 2022
Decent shake in Darwin just now…. #earthquake
— Matt Brann (@MattBrannRURAL) May 27, 2022
https://twitter.com/jo_laverty/status/1530015815097286656?s=20&t=U9XSMBAdrjjQrMyL_AuRxQ
Timore-Leste sits on what’s known as the Ring of Fire — no, not the Johnny Cash song your Dad loves or the incredibly stressful bit in Finding Nemo.
Basically, the Ring of Fire (or the Girdle of Fire if you’re nasty and believe Wikipedia) is a horseshoe-shaped path in the Pacific Ocean. It essentially follows the meeting points of loads of tectonic plates, those gorgeous big slabs making up the earth’s outer layer.
Yes, by clicking on this article you signed up for a Year 9 Geography class. I don’t make the rules.
Because of the tectonic plates, the Ring of Fire is subject to most of the world’s big seismic events (like earthquakes and volcanoes), as per National Geographic.
In fact, 75 per cent of the world’s volcanoes sit on the Ring of Fire. It’s very much giving Bastille’s classic lyric: “eh eh oh eh oh” (You know, like their song “Pompeii”?).
Obviously, places that aren’t on the Ring of Fire can experience earthquakes too — like the 5.8 belter which hit Melbourne in 2021.
In fact, Aus is actually hit by about one earthquake per day according to the ABC. But they’re so tiny that we just don’t clock them.
The more you know, eh?
