Earthquake - biggest in UK for nearly 25 years
27 February, 2008
Many people in the NG9 area were woken at around 1am this morning, during the biggest earthquake in the United Kingdom for almost 25 years.The British Geological Survey (BGS) recorded an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.2 (ML) on the Richter scale near Market Rasen, Lincolnshire at 00:56 GMT.
Homes were shaken as the tremor spread across the country.
Epicentre
The epicentre was approximately 8 km east of Market Rasen, Lincolnshire and reports suggest that the earthquake has been felt widely across England, with reports of damage to chimneys in the epicentral area.
Earthquakes of this size occur in the mainland UK roughly every 30 years, although are more common in offshore areas.
Largest earthquake since 1984 This is the largest earthquake in the UK since the magnitude 5.4 ML Lleyn Peninsula earthquake in 1984, which was widely felt across England and Wales.
Seismologist Dr Brian Baptie of the British Geological Survey said: “The is a significant earthquake for the UK and will have been widely felt across England and Wales.”
The BGS records approximately 200 earthquakes in the UK each year on its monitoring stations. Approximately 25 earthquakes in the UK are felt by people each year.
By editor@nottinghamng9.co.uk.
