A shallow earthquake measuring magnitude 3.1 struck near the town of Corrigin in Western Australia on Sunday morning, according to preliminary data released by the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC).
The tremor occurred at approximately 10:50am local time on May 17, 2026, with the epicentre located around 7 miles southwest of Corrigin, a rural community situated in Western Australia’s Wheatbelt region. The quake was recorded at a very shallow depth of just 0.79 kilometres, increasing the likelihood that residents near the epicentre may have felt weak ground shaking.
Authorities reported no immediate damage or injuries.
The earthquake was also confirmed by the RaspberryShake citizen-seismograph network, which independently registered the event at magnitude 3.1. Seismologists noted that the magnitude, depth and exact location could still be revised as additional seismic data is analysed in the coming hours.
Communities closest to the epicentre included Corrigin, Bullaring and Bilbarin, where light shaking may have been noticed by residents. Further away, towns such as Kulin, Kondinin, Wickepin and Quairading were unlikely to have experienced noticeable effects.
Although Australia is not generally considered a highly seismic country, Western Australia has experienced occasional low-to-moderate earthquakes over the years due to intraplate tectonic stresses within the Australian continent.
Emergency services continue to monitor the situation, while geoscience agencies encourage residents who felt the quake to submit reports to assist with seismic analysis.
Source: European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) and GeoAu seismic data.
