You were led to this article because you were curious about why the UK seems immune to earthquakes. Well, we’re here to answer that question. The UK lies on the Eurasian plate, and sits thousands of miles from the nearest plate boundary, where the earthquakes originate. So it wouldn’t make sense that the UK doesn’t get earthquakes at all, right?
UK’s Distance from the Fault Line
The first question is, how do earthquakes occur? Earthquakes are created by the energy released through sudden movement along the cracks within the earth. Basically, when these cracks rub together, they release energy in the form of a wave that moves throughout the earth.
The UK lies thousands of miles from the nearest plate boundary, the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. 3936 miles (6334.39 kilometers) to be exact. The statement that the UK doesn’t have earthquakes isn’t exactly true.
Since the distance of the UK to the fault line is so far, by the time the tremors from the energy release reach the UK, it’s too small to notice. Data from the British Geological Survey actually shows that there are between 200 – 300 earthquakes detected each year.
The same data shows that an earthquake of a magnitude of 3.5 is likely to happen around once every year. These are earthquakes that are large enough to knock over some of your ornaments but nothing to be concerned about.
Earthquakes Are More Frequent In Some Areas of the UK than Others
No matter which area of the UK you’re in, it’s likely you do have tiny earthquakes that are only detectable by specialist equipment. There are some areas of the UK that are likely to be hit by slightly larger earthquakes.
It seems that earthquakes are more frequent in Wales and the west of Scotland. Although seismologists aren’t exactly sure why this is, it’s likely to be because of the location of the faults in the Earth’s crust.
History of Earthquakes in the UK
Again, just to clarify, asking why the UK doesn’t have earthquakes isn’t exactly correct. As stated above, the hundreds of earthquakes that happen within the year are so small that they aren’t noticeable. But, the UK does have a small history of devastating earthquakes.
The largest ever recorded earthquake in the UK with modern instruments happened in 1931, near the Dogger Bank, with a magnitude of 6.1. Luckily it was 60 miles offshore but it was powerful enough to cause minor damage to buildings on the east coast of England.
More recently, a quake of 5.2 magnitude hit Lincolnshire in 2008. A few more in recent years have hit the UK which caused some structural damage.
Final Thoughts
So, to answer your question why the UK doesn’t have earthquakes, they’re just so small that you can’t feel them. But if you visit the coastal cities, you’re sure to find someone who’s had their teapot knocked over in recent years.