M3.8 earthquake strikes Britain, the largest since 2008

britain-earthquake-january-3-2017

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.

Regional seismicity, North Sea, Europe

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

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One Comment

  1. 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!

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