Newcastle Earthquake of 1989?

Question

Does anyone know the geographical causes of it??

Answer 1

The Newcastle earthquake was caused by a build up of intra-plate tension in the southern part of the Indo-Australian Plate. The intra-plate tension occurs as heat builds up underneath the continental land mass. The release of this tension resulted in an earthquake occurring in a normally earthquake-free environment.

Australia has no major fault lines, sitting as it does in the middle of a tectonic plate, and earthquakes are usually rare and small. The Newcastle quake was only 5.6, which would be fairly minor in some parts of the world. Australian bulidings are usually not up to being shaken about which is what lead to the serious damage from this particular event.

Answer 2

On December 28, 1989, a magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck Newcastle, causing extensive damage and killing 13 people. This earthquake proved that even Australia is not immune from damaging earthquakes causing significant human and economic loss.

Most of the damage occured to unreinforced masonry buildings which had been built between 1900 and 1950. Over 3000 residences were damaged throughout the city. Until recently Newcastle was a steel manufacturing city, (BHP Steel closed late 1999) but at the time of the earthquake the steel mills were not severly damaged and gas and electricity sub stations did not incur major damage.

Generally speaking, most modern structures were generally not damaged; the exception was the Newcastle Workers Club, where a section built in 1972 collapsed, killing 10 people. The club was built in two main parts; an older unreinforced masonry section and a newer concrete frame section four stories high with underground parking. The collapse of the Newcastle Workers Club began at the top of the club causing the building to cascade into itself trapping patrons and workers within the building.

The photographs of the rescue operation in the proceeding hours just after the earthquake and the resulting demolition of the Newcastle Workers Club can be found at www.allshookup.org

Answer 3

The 1989 Newcastle earthquake was a magnitude 5.6 earthquake that occurred in Newcastle, New South Wales on Thursday 28 December 1989, at 10:27 am. It was one of Australia's most serious natural disasters, killing 13 people and injuring more than 160, and the damage bill has been estimated at A$4 billion (including an insured loss of about A$1 billion). The Newcastle earthquake was the first Australian earthquake in recorded history to claim human lives. The effects were felt over an area of around 200,000 square kilometres in the state of New South Wales, with isolated reports of movement in areas up to 800 km from Newcastle. Damage to buildings and facilities was reported over an area of 9000 square kilometres. The highest death toll and damage occurred at the Newcastle Workers Club, where the floor collapsed and nine people were killed and many more trapped beneath rubble. Another three people were crushed to death under collapsed awnings on Beaumont Street, Hamilton, an inner-city suburb of Newcastle. Following the death of a woman in Broadmeadow from earthquake-related shock, the final death toll was raised to 13. The earthquake caused damage to over 35,000 homes, 147 schools, and 3,000 commercial and/or other buildings, with significant damage caused to 10,000 homes (damage worth over A$1000) and 42 schools (structural damage), within the immediate Newcastle area. The number of people in the city on the day of the earthquake was lower than usual, due to a strike by local bus drivers. The earthquake struck in the middle of an interview by local television station NBN with a union representative.

Answer 4

As with any earthquake. Stress along the edge of a tectonic plate. I was in the bathroom when it hit. When I came out there were all these people lined up at the window. I never felt a thing.

Answer 5

<>All earthquakes occur because of shifting tectonic plates. These huge masses are "islands" floating on molten rock (magma) deep in the earth and when they grind together or overlap, the resulting "crash" becomes a tremor that vibrates up through the Earth.
Here are some sites with information about this devastating event:

http://www.newcastle.nsw.gov.au/services/culture/library/research/earthq.cfm
http://allshookup.org/images/ncquake/ncquake.htm
http://www.ga.gov.au/urban/factsheets/earthquakes_newcastle.jsp

Answer 6

I was living in Gateshead (that's across the river from Newcastle) in 1989 and never felt a single shake. I can't remember it being in the news, either.

Answer 7

I would say that Newcastle was built on a fault line.