Tennant Creek residents shaken awake when 3.1 magnitude earthquake rattles their homes

Some Territory residents were awoken today by what ‘felt like a roadtrain driving past’ their houses when a 3.1 magnitude earthquake struck about 5.50am.

TENNANT Creek residents were awoken by what “felt like a roadtrain driving past” their houses when a 3.1 magnitude earthquake struck near the outback town early Tuesday morning.

Geoscience Australia (GeoAu) reported that the quake hit about 5.50am.

Volcano Discovery online said the quake may have been able to be felt by some due to its shallow depth.

“According to preliminary data, the quake was located at a very shallow depth of 1.4 miles. Shallow earthquakes are felt more strongly than deeper ones as they are closer to the surface.

“According to preliminary calculations, we do not expect that the quake was felt by many people and did not cause any damage.”

Tennant Creek mayor Jeff Mcloughlin said he was awoken by the shakes.

“I did get woken up by it. I thought it was last night’s curry,” he joked.

“It lasted about five to 10 seconds and felt like a roadtrain going past if you lived on the main street.

“Some residents felt it, some didn’t.”

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According to Geoscience Australia, the largest recorded Australian earthquake was in 1988 at Tennant Creek with an estimated magnitude of 6.6.

Anyone who felt Tuesday’s quake can contact Geoscience Australia or make a report on their website: earthquakes.ga.gov.au

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Originally published as Tennant Creek residents shaken awake when 3.1 magnitude earthquake rattles their homes