Johannesburg tremor

The alleged tremor was felt at 23:30 SAST on Tuesday 16 August – Photo: Supplied

‘Was that a mini-quake?’ – Alleged tremor ROCKS Johannesburg

Official confirmation remains scarce, but several unverified reports have noted that Johannesburg was SHOOK by a suspected tremor last night.

Johannesburg tremor

The alleged tremor was felt at 23:30 SAST on Tuesday 16 August – Photo: Supplied

Did the earth move for you lot in Johannesburg? A number of locals are adamant they were affected by a tremor overnight, which allegedly shook homes and disrupted the peace across the city. One social media user said the sensation ‘felt like an explosion’.

City of Johannesburg tremor tariffs
The City of Johannesburg experiences multiple tremors over the course of the year. However, the magnitude and epicentre of this purported seismic activity are yet to be confirmed – Photo: Flickr / South African Tourism

Did we have a tremor in Johannesburg? The jury is out

We’re awaiting confirmation from the Council of Geosciences. So far, no official seismic activity has been declared for Tuesday night. Neither a tremor nor a ‘mine cluster event’ has been registered at the time many locals say they felt the ‘mini-quake’…

When does a tremor become an earthquake?

Johannesburg is no stranger to the occasional tremor. As recently as 17 July 2022, a 3.8 on the Richter Scale was recorded in the metropolitan area – which fell just short or the 4.0 threshold needed to declare an actual earthquake.

The supposed seismic activity detected in Jozi last night is likely to be a little milder, ranging between 2.0 to 3.0, given its light impact. Domestic experts are yet to make a declaration – but the team at VolcanicDiscovery DID catch some rumblings underfoot.

“We are receiving reports of ground-shaking, possibly caused by seismic activity in or near Johannesburg, Gauteng, on 16 Aug 2022 at approximately 21:29 GMT [23:29 SAST].  The location, magnitude and time mentioned are indicative, based on our best-fit seismic model.” | VolcanicDiscovery

Johannesburg left to ‘second-guess’ latest seismic event

While still anticipating the details on a potential epicentre or magnitude, speculation remains rife amongst locals. Many are adamant that they have experienced yet another tremor – but others are waiting on a more official version of events.