A 3.1 magnitude earthquake near Tilpa yesterday could have shaken up locals’ lunchtimes, but according to seismology agencies, only one person felt it. 

Despite being small in size and impact, seismologists from Geoscience Australia are paying attention to the earthquake that occurred 67 kilometres out of Tilpa. 

“In this area, it’s not particularly common. The last one we recorded there was in 2012 and within 50 odd kilometres of this event,” Geosciece Australia Senior Seismologist Jonathan Bathgate said. 

Over the past 25 years, the area has seen five earthquakes. 



At a magnitude of 3.1, the event had very little risk of impact, much like the other 100 magnitude three earthquakes that occur across Australia every year. 

“Oftentimes, they’re mistaken for other things like thunder or a truck or train going down the road,” Mr Bathgate said. 

Despite earthquakes of that scale having little impact, recording them could be crucial to what a future Australia looks like. 

“If it’s a large earthquake that we think is potentially damaging then we alert the National Emergency Management Agency so that they can coordinate a response.”

“Beyond that, recording these smaller earthquakes is useful for understanding what Australia’s seismic hazard is, and then developing sort of mitigations that can go into things like building codes,” Mr Bathgate said. 

The tremor of yesterday’s earthquake struck at a shallow depth of 6.2 miles below the surface.

“We’ve had one report in that someone felt this earthquake. It’s not particularly densely populated, but you would have had to have been quite close to this event to have felt anything.”

The local event comes as earthquake reportings around Australia are starting to feel more familiar. 

Mr Bathgate says that despite that, the numbers aren’t actually increasing. 

“What we have found is a few earthquakes in the last year or two near populated centres…those kind of heighten the awareness of Australia’s earthquakes in general.” 

The earthquake was recorded by the Cobar seismic station, 73 kilometres away.