Banda Sea 5.7 magnitude earthquake shakes parts of Darwin City

Territorians in suburbs including Nightcliff and all the way to the CBD were left shaken after a 5.7 magnitude earthquake struck in Indonesian waters. A seismologist has explained why the tremor may have been missed by some.

A 5.7 magnitude earthquake in the Banda Sea was the cause behind tremors felt across Darwin. Source: Geoscience Australia.

A 5.7 magnitude earthquake in the Banda Sea was the cause behind the tremors felt in Darwin overnight, an expert has confirmed, after Territorians reported their homes or belongings shaking.

On Monday evening, Darwin locals took to social media to report they had felt a tremor, while others maintained they noticed nothing.

Geoscience Australia senior duty seismologist Hugh Glanville confirmed the effects of an earthquake in the Indonesian archipelago had reached the Top End.

“It’s common for earthquakes to emanate north of Darwin in the Banda Sea – this was a magnitude 5.7 earthquake that occurred around 6.55pm local time.”

Of note, Mr Glanville said residents who lived in high rises were more likely to have felt the shake.

“This is a commonality we’ve noticed in Darwin that as the population has grown over time and more high rises have been built, we tend to get more earthquakes felt because people are higher,” he said.

“If an earthquake occurs near you and you’re on the ground, you may feel a sort of sharp vibration, but as you deal with larger earthquakes and you’re in a higher building you’ll get that sway.”

Geoscience Australia’s felt grid showed the vast majority of people who experienced tremors were situated in the northern suburbs and CBD. Source: Geoscience Australia.

Online, Geoscience Australia’s felt grid showed the majority of Top End residents who felt tremors were situated in the Darwin CBD and northern suburbs.

Mr Glanville encouraged Territorians to visit the Geoscience Australia website to report tremors if they believed they had experienced one.

To submit your experience, visit earthquakes.ga.gov.au