Moderate 4.3‑magnitude earthquake hits Northern Cape town of Springbok
Even though Springbok only feels occasional light shakes and a moderate‑magnitude quake every few years, adhering to key earthquake safety tips will keep residents safe and prepared.
Image: Facebook / Severe Weather and Information Centre SA
A MODERATE earthquake rattled the town of Springbok in the Northern Cape on Monday, December 8, at 5.14pm local time.
The tremor measured 4.3 on the Richter scale and was centred about 5.8km south-west of the town at a shallow depth of roughly 10km, according to the European‑Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC).
Light shaking (MMI IV) was reported near the epicentre, and 78 residents submitted “felt” reports to the VolcanoDiscovery monitoring service.
The Council for Geoscience confirmed the event and urged the public to record their observations via an online questionnaire. No injuries or structural damage have been recorded.
A smaller magnitude‑3.1 aftershock struck the same day at 7.02pm, located 25km south-east of Springbok, also at a shallow depth and felt only weakly (MMI III) by a few locals.
A moderate earthquake rattled the town of Springbok in the Northern Cape on Monday.
Image: Facebook / National Geoscience