On Friday night, there was a notable earthquake in the Free State near Viljoenskroon with a magnitude of 3.3 that startled the locals.
At 23:15 on Friday, in the Fezile Dabi District Municipality of the Free State, 28 kilometers east of Viljoenskroon, there was an earthquake with a magnitude of 3.3.
The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) reports that the earthquake occurred at a shallow depth of 10 kilometers.
Because they occur closer to the surface, shallow earthquakes are felt more intensely than deeper ones.
As seismologists examine data and improve their calculations, the precise magnitude, epicentre, and depth of the earthquake may change. * Reports from other agencies may also be released.
The EMSC stated that very mild shaking may have occurred in cities and towns near the epicentre. Among them would have been Parys (pop. 71 300), Viljoenskroon (pop. 55 000), and Vredefort (pop. 14 600).
The agency said that other areas farther away, like Potchefstroom (population 123 700), Stilfontein (population 93 100), and Kroonstad (population 104 000), probably did not feel the earthquake.
South Africa Gets the Shakes
In 2024, the Republic has had a number of minor earthquakes without any significant incidents.
On February 6, there were reports of a minor magnitude 3.2 earthquake in several areas of Johannesburg.
Volcano Discovery reports that the earthquake occurred 8.7 km from Westonaria, Gauteng, at a very shallow depth of 5 km, and that it was felt widely throughout the region.
Social media sites in Cape Town, meantime, were ablaze with rumors of a tremendous boom or rumbling that was reported on March 27 from all throughout the city.
In the end, the Mother City was indeed affected by a minor earthquake with a magnitude of 1.4, as confirmed by the Council for Geoscience (CGS).
Can Earthquakes Be Blamed on Mining Activity?
Not much seismic activity is known to occur in South Africa. However, the nation has an unexpected history of large-scale earthquakes and tremors, the most of which have happened in the vicinity of the mining belt.
Professor Andrzej Kijko of the University of Pretoria’s Natural Hazard Centre stated that 95% of South Africa’s earthquakes were caused by mining, particularly in and around the communities of Klerksdorp, Welkom, and Carletonville, following the devastating magnitude 4.9 Orkney earthquake of 2014.
“South Africa’s mining industry is creating a great deal of stress issues. The strains brought on by mining can readily ignite a natural fault weakness located six kilometers below the surface, he said.
*At the time of posting, the magnitude, epicentre, and depth were accurate.
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