The tremor occurred at 2:53pm and had a shallow depth of just two kilometres.
Dr Jonathan Bathgate, senior seismologist at Geoscience Australia, described the quake as relatively small, though still strong enough to be noticed across the region.
“The shaking would have been brief, but definitely detectable by people nearby,” he said.
“With events of this size, people often hear a loud noise more than they feel the movement. Typically, a magnitude 3 quake produces a sudden, sharp jolt.”
According to Geoscience Australia’s data, the earthquake originated near Appin in the Wollondilly Shire, with hundreds of people submitting “felt reports.”
“We’ve received many reports at the National Earthquake Alert Centre in Canberra, especially from Sydney’s southern suburbs — less so from the north,” Dr Bathgate noted.
A Geoscience Australia map highlights the areas where the quake was experienced.
Listeners who called in to Sydney radio stations shared their stories, including Savana from Camden, who said her entire house shook while she was working from home. Others reported feeling the tremor in Spring Farm and Coledale.
Geoscience Australia confirmed the quake was not the result of a mine blast.
“At these magnitudes, it’s hard to determine if it’s mining-related or not,” Dr Bathgate explained. “However, it appears to be part of normal seismic activity that we’ve been monitoring in the area for several years.”
The NSW State Emergency Service reported no damage resulting from the earthquake.
