January 5, 1885 Earthquake: Geraldton, Australia

a maximum intensity of 5 EMS, given that no damage is reported anywhere […] According to Johnston et al. (1994), there is doubt about whether the earthquake occurred on 5 or 6 January, but the original sources are clear that it happened on Monday, i.e. 5 January 1885. The most accessible report is dated the following day (not surprising, given that the earthquake occurred at 22h 25m local time), hence the confusion.

The evidence concerning this earthquake has been examined in great detail, as it poses a problem in interpretation. Johnston et al. (1994) suggest two possibilities. Firstly, the association with the Mt Narryer scarp, from Williams (1979), and secondly, an offshore epicentre south-west of Geraldton, for which they cite Lambeck et al. (1984). In fact, Lambeck et al. (1984) do not discuss the earthquake at all, but do show a map that plots it offshore from Geraldton, possibly on the basis of Everingham and Tilbury (1972). McCue (1999), in a list of “Large or damaging earthquakes in Australia, 1788-1998”, places it offshore. Johnston et al. (1994) find the fault scarp evidence, plus the reported wave direction, to be “persuasive” in favour of a Mt Narryer epicentre.

Conversion of time is to approximately: 14:42:00 UTC on January 5th, 1885