Understanding the Meckering earthquake

This publication was written and published by Geological Survey of Western Australia (GSWA) in 2018 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the earthquake that rocked the small town of Meckering in 1968.

What is the book about?

The book describes the earthquake’s geological features, its effects on the land, and the lasting impact it has had on the people in a small Western Australian town. We ask, ‘Could another such earthquake happen again?’

Historical information about the earthquake has been updated with later seismological analysis, and the results of recent excavations across the fault. Placing the Meckering earthquake in a plate-tectonic context, and relating it to the long-term seismic record, highlights the unpredictability of earthquakes in Western Australia.

Quality photos, colour diagrams, a geological map highlighting the fault traces, and detailed explanations of how earthquakes happen have been packaged into a compact colourful book that will be of interest to residents, visitors and specialist readers interested in Western Australian geology.

The road into Meckering cut off by the earthquake fault scarp
The road into Meckering cut off by the earthquake fault scarp
Sketch of a slice through the fault scarp, excavated in 2005
Sketch of a slice through the fault scarp, excavated in 2005

How to access the book

To obtain a copy of Understanding the Meckering earthquake: Western Australia, 14 October 1968 by JF Johnston and SR White, download a free PDF from the link below.

Understanding the Meckering earthquake: Western Australia, 14 October 1968

Contact

For more information contact publications@dmirs.wa.gov.au