South West Seismic Zone

The South West Seismic Zone (also identified as SWSZ) is a major intraplate earthquake province located in the south west of Western Australia.[1][2]

The zone exists within an Archaean Shield structure called the Yilgarn Block. The identified geological subdivisions within this Precambrian structure do not show an obvious relation to the seismicity.[3]

The zone represents a significant seismic hazard to Perth, Western Australia.[4] More than six thousand earthquakes have occurred in the SWSZ in the years 1968 - 2002.[5] Meckering, Cadoux and Burakin earthquakes originated in the SWSZ.

Contents

Table of earthquakes

List of earthquakes of magnitude 4 or more in Southwestern Australia 1920-1961 (based in part on the records of Perth Observatory 1923-1959 and Mundaring Geophysical Observatory 1959-1980).[6]

Date Origin time Epicentre
(Lat., S)		 Epicentre
(Long., E)		 Local magnitude Location
8 February 1920 05:24 35.00 111.00 6.2 260 km south west of Cape Leeuwin
18 December 1940 21:45 32.20 117.20 4.2 Beverley, Brookton
19 April 1946 21:13 38.5 114.5 5.7 West of Yallingup
17 September 1946 15:12 32.5 116.9 4.5 Pingelly
2 May 1949 10:00 30.90 116.40 5.1 Yerecoin
7 May 1949 17:09 30.90 116.40 4.1 Yerecoin
11 March 1952 06:09 31.30 116.50 5.1 Bolgart
27 November 1954 08:36 32.00 116.7 3.9 Talbot Brook
29 April 1955 09:14 30.90 116.40 4.7 Yerecoin
29 April 1955 19:49 30.90 116.40 4.4 Yerecoin
29 August 1955 06:09 30.70 116.40 5.3 Gabalong
30 August 1955 13:52 30.70 116.40 5.8 Gabalong
30 August 1955 14:07 30.70 116.40 4.7 Gabalong
30 August 1955 16:46 30.70 116.40 4.6 Gabalong
24 February 1956 06:27 30.9 116.4 4.5 Yerecoin
5 April 1956 23:13 30.9 116.4 4.5 Yerecoin
20 March 1958 03:03 32.20 117.20 4.8 Beverley, Brookton
3 October 1959 12:07:22.0 [7] 34.50 114.50 4.2 55 km SW Cape Leeuwin
12 June 1961 18.00:51.0 34.20 114.50 4.1 50 km SW Cape Leeuwin

Notes

  1. ^ First named by H.A.Doyle (1971) Seismicity and Structure in Australia Royal Society of New Zealand Bulletin Vol.9 pp. 149-152
  2. ^ M Leonard, D Darby, G Hu. (2007) GPS-geodetic monitoring of the South West Seismic Zone of Western Australia: progress after two observation epochs in 2002 and 2006( http://www.aees.org.au/Proceedings/Proceedings.html ) Intro: - The Australian southwest seismic zone (SWSZ) is a north-south trending belt of intra-plate earthquake activity that occurs in the southwest of Western Australia, bounded by 30.5°S to 32.5°S and 115.5°E to 118°E.
  3. ^ http://www.seismicity.see.uwa.edu.au/welcome/seismicity_of_western_australia#SW
  4. ^ M Leonard, D Darby, G Hu. (2007): This is one of the most seismically active areas in Australia, with nine earthquakes over magnitude 5.0 occurring between 1968 and 2002, the largest of these was the M6.8 Meckering earthquake in 1968. Since the SWSZ lies as close as ~150 km from the ~1.4 million population of the Perth region, it poses a distinct seismic hazard.
  5. ^ http://www.seismicity.see.uwa.edu.au/welcome/seismicity_of_western_australia#SW
  6. ^ Gordon, F.R and J.D. Lewis (1980) The Meckering and Calingiri earthquakes October 1968 and March 1970 Geological Survey of Western Australia Bulletin 126 ISBN 072448082x - Appendix 1 - Catalogue of Larger earthquakes recorded in Southwestern Australia - Table 22. Earthquakes of Magnitude 4 or more -page 213
  7. ^ Following start of Mundaring Observatory more precise times were recorded.

References

See also

External links