Banda Sea 5.6 quake felt across the Top End

A 5.6 magnitude earthquake in the Banda Sea is the latest in a series of seismic activity to send rumbles across the Top End.

A 5.6 magnitude earthquake in the Banda Sea has given Territorians an early afternoon shake in the latest in a series of seismic events felt in the Territory in recent months.

Top Enders, particularly Darwinites, were shook out of their seats as the ground shook violently by a 5.6 magnitude tremor.

The quake originated to the south of the Banda Sea just before 3pm on Thursday with more than 200 people racing to report having felt it.

Central Australia hasn’t been out of the tremor action of late with Tennant Creek rattled by a 3.6 magnitude earthquake just after 3am on October 24.

5.6 magnitude quake in the Banda Sea gave Territorians a shake.

It follows a particularly active seismic period in the NT with shakes felt almost once a month including a 5.7 quake in the Banda Sea in September which was felt as far as Wadeye.

And in August two earthquakes shook the Top End within 12 hours including a 6.2 from the Banda Sea and a 7.1 from the Bali Sea.

Senior seismologist Tanja Pejic said while there were earthquakes every day in Australia, most are not felt because of their low magnitude or they occur away from populated areas.

“On average, around 100 earthquakes of magnitude 3 or larger are recorded in Australia each year,” Ms Pejic said.

“Earthquakes in Australia, or intraplate earthquakes, can and do occur anywhere on the continent due to the movement of tectonic plates.

“Earthquakes above magnitude 5.0, such as the destructive 5.4 magnitude earthquake in Newcastle in 1989, occur in Australia approximately every one to two years.

“About every 10 years, Australia experiences a potentially damaging earthquake of magnitude 6.0 or larger such as the Meckering earthquake in October 1968.”