Earthquake recorded near Campbelltown

8 October 2013

Magnitude 3.5 earthquake recorded
near Campbelltown, New South Wales
at 7:15am 8 October 2013

Residents of Sydney's outer suburbs started their day with a shake this morning as a magnitude 3.5 earthquake hit the Campbelltown region at 7:15am.

The epicentre of the quake was located 50 kilometers south-west of Sydney, New South Wales, approximately half way between Campbelltown and Appin.

Geoscience Australia has received reports from residents predominantly in the Campbelltown area, but has also had reports from as far away as the outer suburbs of Wollongong on the east coast.

"This one is a little unusual in that we were expecting more reports of people having felt this earthquake given the time of day and the population density of the affected areas", said Senior seismologist Dr Jonathan Bathgate

"Earthquakes of this size and intensity are very unlikely to cause any structural damage. It's not until we reach magnitudes of four and higher that we begin to see those type of effects," Dr Bathgate said.

This area has a long history of seismic activity with approximately 50 earthquakes recorded in the past 50 years - the largest being a magnitude 4.8 in March 1999.

If you felt the earthquake you can register your experience at 'Felt an earthquake?'