What caused the recent earthquake in England?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the recent earthquake in England, specifically its causes, effects, and the varying experiences of individuals across different regions. Participants share personal accounts of feeling the tremor, speculate on tectonic activity, and discuss potential implications for the housing market.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants report feeling the earthquake at around 1:00 am, describing varying intensities and durations of shaking.
  • One participant suggests the earthquake may have been caused by a small slip along an inactive fault, though the British Geological Survey has not confirmed this.
  • Others express skepticism about the earthquake's significance, with one participant downplaying its magnitude.
  • There are conflicting reports about whether individuals in Central London felt the tremor, with some asserting they did not while others claim they did.
  • A participant notes that damage assessments in Gainsborough revealed more destruction than expected, raising questions about soil composition and its impact on earthquake effects.
  • Some participants speculate on the relationship between the earthquake and the housing market, indicating concern over potential implications.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of experiences regarding the earthquake, with no consensus on its significance or the extent of its impact. Disagreement exists about whether individuals in certain areas felt the tremor, and the discussion remains unresolved regarding the causes and implications of the event.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention varying geological conditions and personal experiences, which may influence perceptions of the earthquake's intensity. There are references to previous earthquakes and their effects, but no definitive conclusions are drawn about the current event.

matthyaouw
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The biggest earthquake in the UK for nearly 25 years has shaken homes across large parts of England.

People in Newcastle, Yorkshire, London, Manchester, the Midlands and Norfolk and also parts of Wales, felt the tremor just before 0100 GMT.

A man suffered leg injuries when a chimney collapsed in South Yorkshire.

The British Geological Survey (BGS) said the epicentre of the 5.3 magnitude quake was near Market Rasen, Lincolnshire

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7266136.stm

Wow, that was about 30 miles from my house. No damage, but certainly a shock to wake up to. Did anyone else feel it?
 
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Wow i felt it to, in Nottingham at around one o'clock in the morning it last for around 20-30 seconds. I woke up to severe shaking. I wonder were the earthquake happened or the tectonic plates just moved a couple of cm.
 
matthyaouw said:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7266136.stm

Wow, that was about 30 miles from my house. No damage, but certainly a shock to wake up to. Did anyone else feel it?

I felt one a couple of years ago it wasn't as strong but it was the same time (1 o'clock in the morning) and it lasted around 25 seconds and it also struck the same area's.
 
quote

Wow, i felt it to but in Nottingham at around one o'clock in the morning it last for around 20-30 seconds. :zzz:I woke up to severe shaking. I wonder where the earthquake happened or the tectonic plates just moved a couple of cm. Scary!
 
It was just near Market Rasen in Lincolnshire. Probably just a small slip along a largely inactive fault, but the BGS haven't really said.
You can read their report here: http://www.earthquakes.bgs.ac.uk/recent_events/uk_special/market_rasen_27_feb_2008.pdf
 
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I'm in Newcastle and I was awake at 1am and I felt nothing. I live on a hill though, but I don't think that should make any difference.
 
First of all, I felt nothing where I live in Central London.

Secondly however, there has been a lot of discussion in the workplace here about who felt what and where, and my preliminary understanding is that some of the results are very worrying for the housing market.
 
I was still awake at 1am last night and felt something. At first I thought I was going a little crazy since it just felt like the bed and the wall were shaking for a few seconds. It was only when I caught the news today that I realized what I had felt was an earthquake!
 
Geez, a 4.7. Big deal.

- Warren
 
  • #10
chroot said:
Geez, a 4.7. Big deal.

- Warren

:smile: that's huge over here.
 
  • #11
It's been a slow news decade you see...
 
  • #12
london - vertical ripple in the wall

I was leaning against my bedroom wall (an internal wall, probably plasterboard) in North London, and I felt a vertical ripple move along the wall from North to South.

Also, the dressing-table mirror shook, for some time.

At the time, I thought it was caused by one of the mile-long heavy freight trains that sometimes shake the house.
 
  • #14
Saw that yesterday- it made me laugh more than it should :biggrin:
 
  • #15
Never having mastered the Etch-a-Skech myself, I find this to be a horrible effect of the quake!
 
  • #16
For the next earthquake, if you pay atention to the sounds and the movement you may be able to detect the direction of the epicentre, the source of the waves.
 
  • #17
nicky nichols said:
First of all, I felt nothing where I live in Central London.

Secondly however, there has been a lot of discussion in the workplace here about who felt what and where, and my preliminary understanding is that some of the results are very worrying for the housing market.

You wouldn't have felt it in central london, it didn't happen there.
 
  • #18
amaq4 said:
You wouldn't have felt it in central london, it didn't happen there.

People were reporting the tremors for miles around including London.
 
  • #19
matthyaouw said:
Wow, that was about 30 miles from my house. No damage, but certainly a shock to wake up to. Did anyone else feel it?

I felt it around 1:00 am
 
  • #20
I was in London during that time and haven't felt it. The next day, we went to the epicenter in Market Rasen and nearby area Gainsborough to do some damage assessment survey. Interestingly, more damage is seen such as toppled chimneys in Gainsborough several kilometers away from epicenter market Rasen.
 
  • #21
faux said:
I was in London during that time and haven't felt it. The next day, we went to the epicenter in Market Rasen and nearby area Gainsborough to do some damage assessment survey. Interestingly, more damage is seen such as toppled chimneys in Gainsborough several kilometers away from epicenter market Rasen.

Is the soil at Gainsborough more of a sandy structure than in Market Rasen?
The last earthquake near Pisco, Peru caused more damage there beacuse of the nature of the soil. Other places have withstood similar Ritcher degree with less damage.
 

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