Do We Get Earthquakes In England?

Most people in Britain spend their lives blissfully unaware of earthquakes. Though it would surprise them to know that they are quite common, sometimes up to three a week. Luckily the geology below us is fairly stable so most even in the fault area go unnoticed. Most quakes are centred in the West Midlands as there is a large fault running down the side of Birmingham and two active faults along the border with Wales.

The largest quake to hit Britain in recent years was recorded by the British Geological Survey team in Edinburgh as 4.8 on the Richter scale. Though tiny by Global standards it resulted in wide spread panic, overloading the emergency services telephone system. As although centred on the West Midlands the shock was felt in London.

Equakes of this magnitude are rare, with the majority not reaching much above 3.5 on the Richter scale.