The British Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 3.7 Earthquake at a depth of about 3 km, beneath the town of Brynmawr in Gwent, South Wales, slightly before midnight GMT on Friday 24 February 2023. There are no reports of any damage or casualties associated with this event, and nor would they be expected with an Earthquake this small, but the quake was felt by a large number of people within 40 km of the epicentre, with several reports of people feeling it further afield in Wales and the Midlands region of England.
The approximate location of the 24 February 2023 Brynmawr Earthquake. British Geological Survey.
Earthquakes become more common as you travel north and west in Great Britain, with the west coast of Scotland being the most quake-prone part of the island and the northwest of Wales being more prone to quakes than the rest of Wales or most of England.
The precise cause of Earthquakes in the UK can be hard to determine; the country is not close to any obvious single cause of such activity such as a plate margin, but is subject to tectonic pressures from several different sources, with most quakes probably being the result of the interplay between these forces.
The precise cause of Earthquakes in the UK can be hard to determine; the country is not close to any obvious single cause of such activity such as a plate margin, but is subject to tectonic pressures from several different sources, with most quakes probably being the result of the interplay between these forces.
(Top) Simplified diagram showing principle of glacial rebound. Wikipedia. (Bottom) Map showing the rate of glacial rebound in various parts of the UK. Note that some parts of England and Wales show negative values, these areas are being pushed down slightly by uplift in Scotland, as the entire landmass is quite rigid and acts a bit like a see-saw. Climate North East.
Witness accounts of Earthquakes can help geologists to understand these events, and the structures that cause them. If you felt this quake, or were in the area but did not (which is also useful information) then you can report it to the British Geological Survey here.
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