M3.8 earthquake strikes Britain, the largest since 2008
A shallow earthquake registered by the British Geological Survey as M3.8 hit the southern North Sea, off the coast of North Yorkshire, United Kingdom at 18:52 UTC on January 3, 2017. The agency is reporting a depth of 18 km (11.2 miles). EMSC is reporting M3.9 at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles).
The epicenter was located in the southern North Sea, 155 km (96 miles) E of Scarborough, 361 km (224 miles) NNE of London, United Kingdom, and 305 km (189 miles) NNW of Amsterdam, Netherlands.
This is the strongest earthquake to hit Britain since M5.2 on February 27, 2008.
The BGS said earthquakes on the east coast of the UK are relatively rare. “Earthquakes are almost completely absent from eastern Scotland and north-east England. Similarly, Ireland is almost completely free of earthquakes. The North Sea is more active than the mainland.”
The largest known British earthquake was M6.1 near Dogger Bank on June 7, 1931. It was 96 km (60 miles) offshore but was still powerful enough to cause minor damage to buildings on the east coast of England.
Below is a list of all significant British earthquakes as listed by the BGS:
Date | Time | Lat | Lon | Depth | Mag | Region |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2008/02/27 | 00:56:47.8 | 53.400 | -0.332 | 17.8 | 5.2 | MARKET RASEN,LINCS |
2007/04/28 | 07:18:12.5 | 51.102 | 1.169 | 5.3 | 4.3 | FOLKESTONE,KENT |
2002/09/22 | 23:53:14.8 | 52.533 | -2.159 | 14.0 | 4.7 | DUDLEY,W MIDLANDS |
2001/10/28 | 16:25:24.9 | 52.8347 | -0.8493 | 14.4 | 4.1 | MELTON MOWBRAY,LEICS |
2000/09/23 | 04:23:45.8 | 52.2805 | -1.6105 | 14.4 | 4.2 | WARWICK,WARWICKSHIRE |
1999/03/04 | 00:16:51.8 | 55.3970 | -5.2413 | 19.0 | 4.0 | ARRAN,STRATHCLYDE |
1994/02/15 | 10:15:58.9 | 52.5590 | 0.9132 | 7.3 | 4.0 | NORWICH,NORFOLK |
1990/04/02 | 13:46:34.2 | 52.4362 | -3.0328 | 14.1 | 5.1 | BISHOP'S CASTLE,SHROPS |
1986/09/29 | 01:33:35.1 | 56.45 | -5.65 | 23.3 | 4.1 | OBAN,STRATHCLYDE |
1984/08/18 | 11:37:27.7 | 52.96 | -4.38 | 21.0 | 4.3 | LLEYN PENIN,NW WALES |
1984/07/29 | 20:17:57.3 | 52.98 | -4.44 | 21.2 | 4.0 | LLEYN PENIN,NW WALES |
1984/07/19 | 06:56:13.6 | 52.96 | -4.38 | 20.7 | 5.4 | LLEYN PENIN,NW WALES |
1979/12/26 | 03:57:07.0 | 55.03 | -2.82 | 4.5 | 4.7 | LONGTOWN,CUMBRIA |
1976/11/03 | 09:58:04.6 | 53.41 | -2.69 | 2 | 4.5 | WIDNES |
1975/11/27 | 20:26:36.4 | 57.26 | -5.41 | 11 | 4.1 | KINTAIL |
1974/08/10 | 12:49:43.5 | 57.19 | -5.35 | 22 | 4.4 | KINTAIL |
1974/08/06 | 08:07:33.1 | 57.20 | -5.40 | 4.0 | KINTAIL | |
1974/02/25 | 20:03:43.5 | 51.64 | -3.12 | 4.1 | NEWPORT | |
1972/03/07 | 06:52:15.7 | 53.70 | -2.03 | 6 | 4.0 | TODMORDEN |
1970/08/09 | 20:09:01.4 | 54.50 | -2.47 | 20.9 | 4.1 | KIRKBY STEPHEN |
1958/02/09 | 23:21:00 | 53.750 | 1.010 | 16.0 | 5.1 | NORTH SEA |
1957/02/11 | 15:43:00 | 52.820 | -1.330 | 13.0 | 5.3 | DERBY |
1931/06/07 | 00:25:00 | 54.080 | 1.500 | 23.0 | 6.1 | NORTH SEA |
1927/02/17 | 23:17:00 | 49.170 | -1.620 | 22.0 | 5.4 | CHANNEL ISLANDS |
1926/08/15 | 03:58:00 | 52.310 | -2.660 | 17.0 | 4.8 | LUDLOW |
1926/07/30 | 13:19:00 | 49.170 | -1.620 | 18.0 | 5.5 | CHANNEL ISLANDS |
1925/02/01 | 21:52:00 | 49.160 | -5.220 | 25.0 | 5.1 | BRITTANY |
1906/06/27 | 09:45:00 | 51.620 | -3.810 | 13.0 | 5.2 | SWANSEA |
1901/09/18 | 01:24:00 | 57.430 | -4.320 | 11.0 | 5.0 | INVERNESS |
1896/12/17 | 05:32:00 | 52.020 | -2.550 | 20.0 | 5.3 | HEREFORD |
1893/11/02 | 17:45:00 | 51.810 | -4.410 | 24.0 | 5.0 | CARMARTHEN |
1892/08/18 | 00:24:00 | 51.700 | -5.040 | 26.0 | 5.1 | PEMBROKE |
1889/05/30 | 20:19:00 | 49.400 | -0.600 | 25.0 | 5.2 | NORMANDY |
1880/11/28 | 17:45:00 | 56.190 | -5.300 | 25.0 | 5.2 | ARGYLL |
1878/01/28 | 11:53:00 | 49.800 | -0.600 | 16.0 | 5.0 | NORMANDY |
1863/10/06 | 03:22:00 | 52.000 | -2.800 | 25.0 | 5.2 | HEREFORD |
1853/04/01 | 22:45:00 | 49.150 | -1.700 | 21.0 | 5.2 | COUTANCES |
1852/11/09 | 04:25:00 | 53.020 | -4.300 | 24.0 | 5.3 | CAERNARVON |
1843/03/17 | 00:55:00 | 53.920 | -3.790 | 17.0 | 5.0 | IRISH SEA |
1816/08/13 | 22:45:00 | 57.430 | -4.330 | 18.0 | 5.1 | INVERNESS |
1786/08/11 | 01:55:00 | 54.530 | -3.680 | 16.0 | 5.0 | WHITEHAVEN |
1775/09/08 | 21:45:00 | 51.730 | -3.810 | 19.0 | 5.1 | SWANSEA |
1727/07/19 | 04:00:00 | 51.570 | -3.760 | 25.0 | 5.2 | SWANSEA |
1690/10/07 | 07:15:00 | 53.000 | -4.200 | 5.2 | CAERNARVON | |
1580/04/06 | 18:00:00 | 51.060 | 1.600 | 22.0 | 5.8 | DOVER STRAITS |
1575/02/26 | 17:00:00 | 53.200 | -1.600 | 5.0 | MIDLANDS | |
1382/05/24 | 05:30:00 | 51.340 | 2.000 | 5.0 | DOVER STRAITS | |
1382/05/21 | 15:00:00 | 51.340 | 2.000 | 25.0 | 5.8 | DOVER STRAITS |
Featured image credit: Google
This earthquake was not the largest for a decade there was a magnitude 4.2 earthquake that shook south east England on May 22 2015! Quakes with the 3.0-4.0 range occur frequently every year and we’re use to them as well.
ML 3.9 Rutland, Jan 2015
ML 4.2 Kent, May 2015
ML 4.2 Channel Islands, July 2014
ML 4.1 Bristol Channel, Feb 2014
ML 3.9 English Channel, July 2011
And there’s a few more between 3-3.9 but can’t fit them on this page!