Magnitude 4.8 earthquake strikes Victoria, with tremors felt across Melbourne

A magnitude 4.8 earthquake struck near Leongatha in Victoria early Saturday, with tremors felt across Melbourne and other parts of the region.

Geoscience Australia detected the quake at 2:01am AEST (4:01pm UTC Friday), about 130km south-east of Melbourne and roughly 10km below the surface. It received thousands of reports from people who felt the shaking.

Aftershocks and seismic activity

A magnitude 3.1 aftershock was recorded 55 minutes after the main quake. A magnitude 3.3 earthquake was also recorded near Yarram, about 80km from Leongatha, on Thursday morning.

Mark Quigley, an associate professor of earthquake science at the University of Melbourne, told the ABC that aftershocks could be felt in the region for weeks. He described South Gippsland as one of Australia’s more seismically active areas.

Quigley said the earthquake was caused by the rapid movement of a roughly 2km by 3km area of rock about 10km underground. He said earthquakes were not occurring more often, despite the impression of increased activity in recent years.

Victoria’s recent stronger earthquakes

The quake was Victoria’s largest since a magnitude 5.0 earthquake on the Great Ocean Road in 2023. A magnitude 5.9 earthquake near Mansfield in north-eastern Victoria in 2021 caused property damage.

South Gippsland is considered one of Australia’s most active seismic regions. Quigley said the geological record showed that larger earthquakes had occurred there in the past, exceeding magnitude 6 and possibly reaching magnitude 7.

Emergency advice

Victoria’s State Emergency Service advised people to drop to the ground, take cover under sturdy furniture, protect their head and neck, and hold on until the shaking stops. The Bureau of Meteorology said the earthquake posed no tsunami threat.