An earthquake measuring 4.7 on the richter scale struck Southern England at 8.18am this morning (Saturday 28th April 2007). The map to the left shows the location of the quake (source credit: U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior) - further maps of the quake (including seismicity) can be found here. It is also worth looking at the location on the Worldwide Earthquake locator (try altering the map to add on fault lines, plate names etc.)
News Articles:
Earthquake shakes part of Kent (BBC News)
Eyewitness accounts of the earthquake (BBC News)
Homes evacuated after earthquake hits Kent (Times Online)
Photographs of the earthquake damage (Sky News)
Earthquake shakes Southern England (SKy News)
The House shook "Its chaos down here" (Sky News)
Homes crumble as earthquake rocks Kent (This London.co.uk)
In pictures: Kent Earthquake (BBC News)
Q&A - Kent Earthquake (BBC News)
Video Links:
Interview with BGS on initial thoughts on Earthquake (Sky News Video link)
The View from above (Sky News video link)
Chimneys and Roofs damaged by quake (Sky News Video link)
Eyewitness Interview (Sky News video link)
It is also worth looking at the location of the quake in the Worldwide Earthquake locator (you can alter the map to display fault lines, plate boundaries etc.)
The latest earthquakes from around the world are mapped here.
Earthquakes in the UK
Between 200-300 earthquakes in the UK are recorded by the BGS (British Geological Survey) every year. Despite not being on a major plate boundary (the closest is the Mid-Atlantic Ridge), we do experience earthquakes due to the release of tensions in the crust built up by movements along pre-existing faults in the crust. The largest recorded earthquake to hit the UK was a magnitude 6.1. The quake hit in 1931, with its epicenter in the North Sea, 120km offshore NE of Great Yarmouth.
Further details on UK earthquakes and their cause and impacts can be found on the here. As can be seen from this list of earthquakes in the UK over the last 30 days, most of the earthquakes we experience are low i magnitude; those that are below 3.5 on the richter scale are rarely felt - hence why they are often not reported in the news. These quakes are however picked up by recording instruments. The BGS undertakes careful seismic monitoring with 145 seismic stations around the UK. By monitoring background seismic information, the BGS are able to better define the seismic risk in the UK.
Further information on earthquakes in the UK can be found here:
- Earthquakes in the UK (BGS)
- Felt Earthquakes in the UK (BGS)
- Seismicity and earthquake hazard in the UK (BGS)
- Small scale tremors in the UK (BBC News)
- History of UK earthquakes (Sky News)
- Dudley Earthquakes (2002)
