Did the earth move for you? Rutland hit by earthquake
Rutland in the Midlands is hit by the UK’s biggest earthquake this year, prompting a wave of jokes about the “earth moving”. But how does this seismic activity compare with other great British quakes?
The earthquake hit areas of Rutland including Oakham after being triggered at 6:07am at a depth of 2.5 miles.
The British Geological Survey tweeted confirmation that the earthquake had taken place – though this probably did not come as a surprise to the residents of Rutland woken by their houses shaking.
We can confirm there has been an earthquake in the Rutland area, our seismologists are still analysing all the… http://t.co/BxCAcZGZmU
— BGS (@BritGeoSurvey) April 17, 2014
One of those affected was former English rugby union international Austin Healey:
We’ve just had an earthquake in #oakham the house was shaking for about 10secs
— Austin Healey (@IamAustinHealey) April 17, 2014
Naturally, the chance for a bit of Carry On-esque, saucy postcard humour did not go missed by the residents of Rutland.
Here’s me just think I rocked Jimmies world this morning. Appears I didn’t http://t.co/IuxX7R9Qap #rutlandearthquake
— Kate Roberts (@spartanmaggie) April 17, 2014
@M4ryLamont I hear that the earth moved for you last night. Lol xx
#rutlandearthquake .
— david wheeler (@thedavewheeler5) April 17, 2014
As always, the earth didn’t move for me. #oakhamearthquake
— Jo Richardson (@jorichardson296) April 17, 2014
I do hope someone in the Rutland area was able to ask ‘did the earth move for you?’
— Kim Evans (@SistahInLaw) April 17, 2014
Britain’s ‘big ones’
Whilst having the biggest magnitude of any British earthquake this year – the earthquake is still a minor one. British earthquakes have never reached the catastrophic levels that have devastated parts of the world including Japan, Haiti, and more recently Chile.
The most recent significant British earthquake was in 2008, with the epicentre in Market Rasen, Lincolnshire (pictured, below). The quake, which hit at 1am, was felt across much of the UK and caused structural damages to many homes and businesses around the epicentre.
Nobody was killed in the 5.2 magnitude earthquake – though one man’s pelvis was broken when his chimney fell through the ceiling onto his bed. It was the most significant British earthquake in 25 years.
Above: workmen mend a chimney damaged in the 2008 Lincolnshire earthquake.
The strongest earthquake officially recorded is the 1931 Dogger Bank earthquake. The epicentre of the 6.1 magnitude was in the North Sea, limiting the damage – though a small tsunami hit the east coast of England.
Colchester was the epicentre for most damaging British earthquake in several centuries – the 1884 “Great English Earthquake”.
Though the magnitude was lower than other British earthquakes, a more than 1,200 buildings were damaged (at a cost of £10,000), and three to five people were reported to have been killed.
God’s anger
The oldest recorded significant British earthquake took place on 21 May 1382. The earthquake, estimated to have had a magnitude of around 5.8, hit in the Dover Straits, and documentation says it caused damage in Canterbury, Hollingbourne in Kent, and in London.
It was also famous for disrupting a council meeting held in London to condemn the doctrines of John Wycliffe – who advocated translation of the Bible into the common language.
Both sides in the meeting claimed the earthquake was a sign of God’s displeasure against the other.
The event also inspired an early English poem – which ran: “Chaumbres, chymeneys, al to-barst; Chirches and castelles foule gon fare; Pinacles, steples, to ground hit cast; And al was for warnyng to be ware.”