6 other earthquakes and tremors experienced in Gauteng over the past few years

Gauteng recorded its latest earthquake early on Sunday morning measuring 4.4 in magnitude. 

The Council for Geoscience (CGS) said it was investigating whether mining activity or fluctuations in groundwater levels caused the quake. 

The council said the earthquake's epicentre “was located in the Boksburg area a few kilometres outside East Rand Proprietary Mines in the East Rand”.

According to Eldridge Kgaswane, chief scientist at the council, by South African standards an earthquake is seismic activity roughly registering a magnitude around 4.0 and higher, and a tremor is a seismic activity registering a magnitude less than 4.0.

“In a sense, tremors are minor earthquakes. Internationally, especially in countries that are more prone to earthquakes than South Africa, the standards could be different,” Kgaswane told EWN.

Here are other earthquakes and tremors experienced in Gauteng over the past few years:

Magnitude 5.4

According to the earthquakelist.org, the strongest earthquake occurred on August 5 2014 at 12.22pm.

It had a magnitude of 5.4 and struck 140km southwest of Soweto. 

Magnitude 5.2

The USGS National Earthquake Information Center reported an earthquake with a 5.2 magnitude occurred 8km south of Stilfontein, in North West, on April 3 2017 at a depth of 5km. It was reported to have been felt in parts of Gauteng.

Magnitude 4.0 

An earthquake measuring 4.0 was recorded in Johannesburg in 2013.

The manager of the seismology unit Michelle Grobbelaar described the earthquake as “quite a big guy”. Preliminary analysis indicated the epicentre was near the University of Johannesburg just before 10am.

Magnitude 3.8

In 2015, a tremor measuring 3.8 on the magnitude scale was recorded near the Carletonville area in West Rand.

The CGS reported the earthquake, with two aftershocks occurring within minutes of each other measuring 3.2 and 2.0.

Magnitude 3.5

A tremor struck Boksburg in the east of Johannesburg at 6.32am in July 2021.

The CGS said preliminary data indicated the tremor measured 3.5 magnitude on the Richter scale.

Magnitude 3.1

Residents of Brakpan, Springs and Boksburg on the East Rand were shaken when an earth tremor measuring 3.1 rocked the area at 1am on August 2022.

The CGS, in a statement, said the tremor emanated at a site between Brakpan, Boksburg, Springs and Tsakane.

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