Magnitude 5.6 Earthquake Strikes Near Australian Research Station
The tremor occurred west of Macquarie Island, with no immediate reports of damage due to the remote location.
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake was recorded west of Macquarie Island, an Australian subantarctic island, on Thursday afternoon. The tremor occurred at a depth of 10 kilometers at 3:46 p.m. local time.
Macquarie Island is located approximately 1,500 kilometers southwest of Tasmania and serves as a base for researchers and support staff managed by the Australian Antarctic Division. The island does not have a permanent population. Researchers are currently stationed there to monitor the local gentoo penguin population, which has seen a significant decline of 50 percent over the past 21 years.
While a 5.6 magnitude earthquake is capable of causing minor to moderate damage to structures, shaking objects, and rattling windows, the remote location of the earthquake's epicenter meant that no damage was reported.
