The 1620 Robben island earthquake is widely accepted as the oldest recorded earthquake in South African history. It reportedly occurred on 7 April 1620, off

Robben Island Robben Island () is an island in Table Bay, 6.9 kilometres (4.3 mi) west of the coast of Bloubergstrand, north of Cape Town, South Africa. It takes its name from the Dutch language, Dutch word for seals (''robben''), hence the Dutch/Afrika ...

, with a Mercalli intensity of IIIV (''Weak–Light''). The event was observed by Augustin de Beaulieu, who was leading a fleet of three ships on Table Bay at the time, who recorded "two startling thunderclaps like cannon shots while ship was becalmed near Robben Island" between 6:00 and 7:00. In 2012, Sharad Master of the '' South African Journal of Science'' has disputed the accuracy of the recording of the event, concluding that the thunderclaps were very likely atmospheric phenomena. He argues that it was the slight quake which occurred off

Cape Town Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...

in 1690 which is actually the oldest recorded one in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

which can be verified, of Mercalli intensity III.

References

Earthquakes in South Africa 1620 disasters 1620s earthquakes 1620s in South Africa Robben Island Events in Cape Town {{earthquake-stub