Aftershocks could continue for weeks after a magnitude 4.8 earthquake struck near Leongatha in Victoria, with a geologist warning that a tremor of similar or greater strength remains possible.
The earthquake hit at about 2am on Saturday, around 135km south-east of Melbourne, at a depth of approximately 10km. More than 21,000 people reported feeling the shaking, including residents across Melbourne.
Dr Dee Ninis, an earthquake geologist at Monash University, said more than 100 aftershocks had already been recorded, although most were too small to be felt.
“Aftershocks associated with this morning’s earthquake are expected to continue over the next few days to weeks,” Dr Ninis said.
“Generally, these earthquakes will become smaller and less frequent with time. However, as with all aftershock sequences, there is a chance that an earthquake of similar magnitude or larger may occur.”
Aftershocks expected to become less frequent
Dr Ninis described the activity as “quite an active sequence”, saying the initial earthquake had changed stress in the Earth’s crust in the region.
“The aftershocks are typically either a continuation of the release of that stress, or that earthquake has changed the stress in the area, so the crust is then adjusting,” she said.
The Gippsland region has experienced similar activity before. A magnitude 4.7 earthquake near Korumburra in 2009 was followed about two weeks later by another tremor of similar strength, while a magnitude 4.4 earthquake struck the region in 2011.
Saturday’s earthquake was Victoria’s largest since a magnitude 5.0 tremor near the Great Ocean Road in October 2023. A magnitude 5.9 earthquake near Woods Point in September 2021 caused damage to buildings in Melbourne.
Dr Ninis urged people to “drop, cover and hold on” if further shaking occurred.
“If you’re indoors, drop to the ground, cover yourself with a sturdy object, like a sturdy desk, or a table, and hold on until the shaking stops,” she said.
She said many injuries were caused by objects inside homes, such as bookshelves that were not attached to walls, and added that strong shaking could make it impossible to walk.
