State rocked by its biggest earthquake in nine years

The tremor could be felt all over South Australia’s Flinders region and beyond, but there have been no reports of damage.

Geoscience Australia's initial data had the quake recorded at magnitude 4.8, later revised to 4.7 preferred.

South Australia has been rattled by its “largest quake in the last nine years,” according to Geoscience Australia.

Preliminary reports had the quake measuring magnitude 4.8 on the Richter scale, but it was later revised to 4.7 preferred.

Geoscience Australia, the nation’s public sector geoscience organisation, recorded the tremor on Thursday at 9.53am local time in SA’s Flinders region, at a depth of 9km.

Geoscience Australia's initial data had the quake recorded at magnitude 4.8, later revised to 4.7 preferred.

There are no reports of damage, and while 4.7 is on the less-severe end of the scale, “magnitude 4.0 earthquakes occasionally topple chimneys or result in other damage which could potentially cause injuries or fatalities,” according to information on Geoscience Australia’s website.

“Apart from causing shaking, earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 or greater can also trigger landslides, which can cause casualties.”

Did you feel the Earth move this morning? We’ve detected an #earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.8 at 09:53 am local time in Flinders Region, South Australia. Complete a felt report at 👉 https://t.co/FFq39TFBiU. pic.twitter.com/shTbIDNbTH

— Geoscience Australia (@GeoscienceAus) March 23, 2023

Social media users in SA reported feeling the quake at Strathalbyn, Modbury North, Gilles Plains, Paradise and Peterborough.

Geoscience Australia said it was the largest quake recorded in SA since another 4.7 magnitude tremor on April 29, 2014, in the Yunta Region, just north of the epicentre of Thursday’s earthquake.

A magnitude 6.6 quake that hit Tennant Creek in the North Territory in January 1988 remains Australia’s largest every on-land earthquake.

Originally published as State rocked by its biggest earthquake in nine years