Late on Thursday evening, a 3.3-magnitude earthquake shook the corridor of North West England, leaving residents surprised and wondering what had just passed.
The British Geological Society (BGS) verified that the epicentre was off the seacoast of Silverdale, Lancashire. Thankfully, no serious damage or injuries have been reported.
According to original BGS data, the earthquake hit at around 1123 pm at a shallow depth of just 1.86 kilometres (3 km). While fairly small, the earthquake was felt across a wide area, with homes rattling and some people waking in alarm.
Municipalities and townlets within roughly 20 km of the epicentre, including Kendal and Ulverston in neighbouring Cumbria, reported feeling the shaking.
Residents in North West England React to Sudden Tremor
Eyewitness accounts from social media painted a vivid picture of the quake. One resident described it as “an explosion and vibration coming from underground,” while another said it felt like “bricks falling/the roof falling in.”
Some unverified reports suggested the earthquake could indeed be felt as far down as the Fylde Peninsula.
While earthquakes are fairly rare in the UK, the BGS records between 200 and 300 temblors each year.
Of these, only 20 to 30 are generally felt by the public. utmost British tremors, including minor UK earthquakes, are too small to cause any real damage.
Once, seismic activity in Lancashire has occasionally been linked to fracking, including an earthquake near Blackpool in 2019. Other minor shakes can also be caused by mortal exertion, similar to large football fests.
Seismic Activity in Lancashire
This 3.3-magnitude Lancashire earthquake is the strongest recorded in the area since October, when a 3.7-magnitude earthquake passed near Loch Lyon in Scotland.
The BGS verified that the earthquake was detected at multiple seismic stations across North West England. While unusual, similar events are generally inoffensive, though they can be surprising for residents.
Authorities have comforted the public that there’s no cause for alarm. The BGS encourages people to report temblors they feel, helping scientists cover seismic activity in Lancashire and across the UK more effectively.
For numerous locals, the earthquake was a brief but indelible reminder that indeed the UK, not known for major shakes, sometimes gets small temblors beneath its thoroughfares.
