‘No cause for panic,’ Council for Geoscience says after 3.4 magnitude earthquake hits Cape Town
Residents have taken to social media to share their experience of the incident.
Residents have been left in fear after a 3.4 magnitude earthquake hit off the coast of Cape Town in the early hours of this morning, The Citizen reports.
According to preliminary data recorded on the Council for Geoscience website, the earthquake occurred 60km off the Cape Town coastline, sparking speculations of a tsunami warning.
Because of its shallow depth and vicinity to densely inhabited areas as well as the fact that earthquakes are not common here, many people felt weak shaking in up to approximately 100 km distance from the epicentre, reported Volcano Discovery.
“As well, because the crust of the area is composed of dense, old rock, the propagation of seismic waves is facilitated and quakes can be more widely felt than in most other areas of the world.”
1/6 Minor tremor felt in Cape Town⚠️
In the early hours of this morning, 17 November 2020, at 00:27 SAST, a minor earth tremor measuring 3.4 on the Richter scale, was felt in the ocean off the West Coast of Saldanha Bay. @WesternCapeGov pic.twitter.com/fpdoLQPusd— Premier Alan Winde (@alanwinde) November 17, 2020
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