Australian Crustal Stress Measurements from Earthquakes and In-Situ Tests

Evidence from earthquake focal mechanisms and in-situ stress measurements indicates substantial horizontal compression across the Australian continent. The dataset includes reliable focal mechanism determinations from eight earthquakes since 1967 and in-situ measurements from multiple sites, including a 200 km north-south traverse near the Meckering and Calingiri epicenters. Data was collected by Geoscience Australia Data, with the record last updated on 2026-03-25.

Use Cases

• Model regional stress fields based on earthquake focal mechanism data.
• Compare in-situ stress measurements with earthquake-derived stress axes.
• Analyze spatial variations in principal stress orientation across different Australian regions.

Strengths

• Includes data from eight earthquakes with reliable focal mechanism determinations since 1967.
• Contains in-situ stress measurements from a 200 km north-south traverse with seven locations.
• Reports specific stress magnitudes, such as a maximum of 23 MPa and a minimum of about 4 MPa.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic/temporal bias inherent to data_gov_au.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data

Collection Method

Combines evidence from earthquake focal mechanisms, in-situ stress measurements in mines/tunnels/quarries, and surface deformation observations.

Time Range

Includes data from 1967 onward, with specific measurements from 1968, 1970, 1978, and 1979.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-25 18:03:44.410656; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Covers multiple regions across the Australian continent, including sites in Western Australia and New South Wales.