Fourteen small earthquakes have been recorded in the Hunter region in the past four months.
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But the quakes’ proximity to the region’s coal mines could be no more than a coincidence.
Geoscience Australia duty seismologist Eddie Leask said a certain level of earthquakes occur on faults, and so do minerals.
He said mine blasting activity can give off a very different signal, one that’s “more distorted and messier” than earthquakes.
Mr Leask said earthquakes have been felt in the Hunter since the 1840s.
The most recent quake was detected off Thursbys Road, Congewai at 1.03am on October 8, measuring 2.1 on the Richter scale.
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12 Oct 2016, 12:16 p.m.
Two small earthquakes have been recorded near Cessnock this month.
A quake measuring 2.4 on the Richter scale was detected in the middle of Ellalong Lagoon at 12.43am on October 2.
A 2.1-magnitude quake was recorded off Thursbys Road, Congewai at 1.03am on October 8.
These follow two small quakes within the same 20-kilometre radius last month – a 2.4-magnitude at 9.24pm on September 28, and a 2.6 at 10.05pm on September 20.
It brings the number of earthquakes in the Hunter Region in the past four months to 14.
