Queensland earthquakes database – Uni of Qld seismology observatories

The Queensland Science Network is pleased to present otherwise not-easily-accessible reports of seismological activity.

Seismology database

There are three files.

An introduction to the database.

The database of Queensland seismic events (6MB). Note: the database has been converted to pdf format in order to stabilise it. People such as educators who wish to extract some data from it and would prefer a Word document or Excel spreadsheet should contact the QSN Editor Mr Col Lynam on newsletter AT scienceqld.org. The Word document is 1.5MB.

List of seismographic stations and inventory of archive boxes dispatched to the State Archives.

The official Queensland Government site https://www.data.qld.gov.au/organization/environment-and-science has very sparse reference to these subjects.

The University of Queensland Seismograph Stations

The UQSS were also known as QUAKES, ESSCC and Geocomp at various times. The University shut down the ESSC server in the late 2010s when the Centre was renamed (Geocomp). The QUAKES server was always separate from the ESSC server and run on its own hardware.

Adequacy of government seismographic data collection

Geoscience Australia (GA) has a mandate to monitor for and report any earthquake event of magnitude 3.5 or greater in the immediate Australian jurisdiction. They do not actively monitor for or report on lesser events unless there is a public interest or if they declare an interest. For example, in the case of the Whitsunday earthquakes and aftershock sequence, non-government seismologists have detected and (for suitable events) located almost 1600 events ranging down to subzero magnitudes. GA has published data on a minor fraction of that number for the same area and the range of their published events does not extend less than magnitude 2. This situation is not limited to the Whitsunday area. It is demonstrable that GA is detecting and publishing data for only very small proportion of earthquake events in Queensland. This is more a reflection on the poor relationships between Australian governments and the Australian scientific community than on the scientists themselves.

The publicly funded Queensland earthquake monitoring network and reporting system is woefully inadequate to cater for the real need. The Queensland Government really has no idea where and when the vast majority of earthquake events are occurring within their jurisdiction. They are seeing only the tiny tip of the pyramid that is poking through the floor of ignorance.

Non-government seismologists have argued that seismological research would be of general benefit to the Queensland Government, Queensland industry and commerce and Queensland society in general. Knowledge of where and when small earthquake events occur is an indicator of where future larger and potentially damaging events will occur.

For further information, search QSN for “earthquakes” or “seismology”.

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