What is Earthquake?
An earthquake is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth’s lithosphere that creates seismic waves.
How Many Earthquakes In South Africa?
Since 1900, South Africa has had 18 quakes of magnitude 6.0 or above and 94 quakes between 5.0 and 6.0. See all quakes in the past 24 hours!
How common are earthquakes in South Africa?
South Africa is not a particularly earthquake-prone country – compared to the likes of China, Iran or Japan – but it does have the unique distinction in that the majority of its seismic activity is caused by deep-level mining.
Are there earthquakes in South Africa?
While earthquakes are quite unusual in South Africa, as we have relatively stable tectonic plates, they are not unheard of and, according to the National Geophysical Data Center, go back as far as 1950.
What causes 95% of earthquakes in South Africa?
In the wake of the damaging M4. 9 Orkney quake of 2014, Professor Andrzej Kijko of the University of Pretoria’s Natural Hazard Centre said that 95% of South Africa’s tremors were caused by mining, especially around the areas of Klerksdorp, Welkom, and Carletonville.
What caused the South Africa earthquake?
The two latest earthquakes in the south of Johannesburg were probably caused by mining activity, Brandt speculated. “In areas where mining activity is happening, it’s not unusual to have events like earthquakes.