A small magnitude earthquake on the Lake George Fault south of Collector on Saturday may have gone unnoticed, except for a seismologist in Canberra.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Consultant seismologist Kevin McCue who retired from Geoscience Australia several years ago recorded the 2.1 earthquake at 4.21 pm.
"The epicentre is under the Federal Highway on the Lake George Fault which defines the western side of Lake George," Mr McCue said.
"It should have been felt by residents in the area," Mr McCue said. "It was recorded on seismographs throughout the Canberra region and from Young to Bombala in NSW and distinctly on my seismograph in suburban Aranda, ACT."
Mr McCue said that although small, it was interesting, because of the current debate about whether in Australia earthquakes happened on faults, whether the faults were active or whether the earthquakes were just happening everywhere.
"But this is one of the first ones that is slap bang on the Lake George Fault," he said.
Mr McCue said when the Black Mountain Tower at Acton was being built, it was designed for a magnitude 6 earthquake on the Lake George Fault, but seismologists said at the time is was not an active fault, and that earthquakes were not happening on it.
"But lo and behold, they are," he said.
More earthquakes had been recorded since the 1960s after the ANU put a seismograph network around the ACT. Some had been on the Lake George Fault, others were not on the fault, Mr McCue said.
"If one occurs under your house it is like an explosion, because it is rock fracturing quickly, it can be alarming. But it doesn't last long enough really to do any damage."
Lerida Winery partner Jim Lumbers said staff had the cafe near the Federal Highway open at that time, but didn't feel anything.
"I'll have a look at the building and see if there are any fresh cracks in it, but I don't think so," Mr Lumbers said.
Now a consultant on major projects like tailings dams, Mr McCue is part of a network of people who run a public seismograph network, and like citizen scientists throughout Australia, exchange information.
He said Saturday afternoon's earthquake was five kilometres south west of Collector, where it was unlikely to have been noticed, nor was it strong enough to crack buildings.
