Residents in Milnerton, Table View, Sunningdale, Melkbosstrand and some along the Atlantic Seaboard shared information to Facebook on Sunday morning [September 27] to report tremors that surged through their homes.
On Saturday, a 6.2-magnitude earthquake shook the Western Cape. The quake, which happened at 7.10pm, is said to have originated some 1600km south west of South Africa, at a depth of ten kilometres. Residents felt a tremor at 8.41pm after the first earthquake logged at 7.10pm. The second incident is apparently not related to the first movement which occurred in the ocean. On Sunday morning, another tremor was felt by locals in the Western Cape.
On Sunday morning, one Facebook user said, “Felt it now in Table View, shook my house again.” Another said the tremor measured 2.8 in Malmesbury. One person posted that the tremor on Sunday morning lasted longer and felt stronger that the one they experienced on Saturday evening.
The City of Cape said no damage had been caused by the tremor on Saturday, and urged the public to report any potential impacts.
The Council for Geoscience confirmed that an earthquake occurred at 8.41pm on September 26, which is the second tremor many felt.
“The earthquake registered a preliminary 2.5 on the local magnitude scale as recorded by the South African Seismographic Network. Many reports have been received from residents of Cape Town who have reportedly experienced a tremor during this time. It does not seem to be related to the earthquake at 7.10pm off the coast of South Africa. Furthermore, there has been no tsunami warning issued by the Indian Ocean Warning System and it is on this basis that the CGS would like to assure the public that there is no eminent threat to the affected area, such no cause for panic,” said the Council in a statement.
Earthquakes are followed by a series of aftershocks which continue for months after until the rocks are restored to a new equilibrium. Most times, the largest aftershock is slightly smaller, by one or two units of magnitude less than the main one. Not all aftershocks are felt even though they are happening, because some are so small people can’t feel them.