Faults and Earthquakes - Earthquake Engineering for Structural Design - page 204

Another very important zone, where intraplate earthquakes occur, is the
Australia area (Fig. 6. 24), (Jankulovski et al, 1996). Even though it is very far
from the tectonic plate boundaries, Australia is seismically active, but with
moderate magnitude earthquakes. Generally, the important earthquakes frame in
the magnitude M 5 to M 6. The largest earthquake which can occur in Australia is
not yet known, but is expected to touch M 7.0 (Quakes, 2003). The well-known
seismic events, the 1988 Tennant Creek with M 6.9 and the 1989 Newcastle with
M 5.6, proved that even Australia is not immune from damaging earthquakes
causing significant human and economic loss. As shown in Figure 6.25,
earthquakes can occur in almost every part of Australia; it is one of the most
significant examples of crustal intraplate earthquakes.
Figure 6. 25 Seismicity of Australia (after Quakes, 2003)