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Earthquake in Lincolnshire

Lincolnshire is now firmly on the world map as from just before 1am 27th Feb 2008
Epicentre of UK quake [Google Map]

Its epicentre was 15 miles north of Lincoln, near Market Rasen, the United States Geological Survey first reported the earthquake measured 4.7 on the Richter scale although they said BGS may have more detailed information, More details here – earthquake.usgs.gov
According to British Geological Survey Seismology the magnitude was 5.2 ML with an EMS of 6.
EUROPEAN MACROSEISMIC SCALE or EMS is a measurement, or rather a classification, of the strength of shaking of an earthquake at a particular place, in this instance 6 being classed as slightly damaging.
More details here – earthquakes.bgs.ac.uk

An earthquake is a rare phenomenon in this part of the world and it’s the first time I have ever experienced it first hand, I could feel the solid concrete floor of our house shaking from side to side.

Most houses in our street had lights on at 1am when I went into our front garden, I half expected Charlton Heston to come driving down the road, in reality the only person I spoke to was our next-door neighbour.

The BSG says on its website that the risk from quakes in the UK is not considerable and that Mainland quakes of the magnitude of that which shook Lincolnshire early today occur only twice a year on average.
However, smaller tremors, of between one and 1.9 on the Richter scale, happen up to 140 times a year.

Other facts
The largest earthquake recorded in Britain had a magnitude of 6.1 offshore in the North Sea on June 7, 1931, about 75 miles northeast of Great Yarmouth

Britain’s largest onshore tremor struck in Lleyn, North Wales, on July 19, 1984, with a magnitude of 5.4.

The last big British earthquake was in 1990, when a 5.1 tremor hit Bishop’s Castle, Shropshire

For comparison purposes, a magnitude 5 ML earthquake is equivalent to the explosion of 1,000 tons of TNT

A report from one local just along the coast from Sutton on Sea has said 
“Tens of millions of pounds worth of improvements were caused”
 

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