At 5.51 British Summertime (4.51 GMT) on Friday 13 April 2012 the British Geological Survey recorded an Earthquake 3 km beneath the Yorkshire village of Eggborough, measuring 1.5 on the Richter Scale. Such a small quake is unlikely to have caused any injuries or damage, and it is possible that nobody even noticed it, though at a depth of 3 km it is likely that some degree of shaken was felt by residents of the village, and possibly nearby communities.
The location of the Eggborough quake. BGS.
The cause of Earthquakes in the UK is always hard to determine, since it is a long way from any active plate margins. This far north the most likely explanation is glacial rebound; Yorkshire was covered by glaciers as recently as 10 000 years ago, and is still rebounding from their weight, causing occasional quakes. The UK is also effected by the spreading of the Atlantic Ocean, the movement of Africa into Eurasia from the south, and to a lesser extent, by expansion beneath the North Sea, in the Bay of Biscay and in the Rhine Valley, all of which put pressure on British rocks.
The British Geological Survey are interested in hearing from anyone in the area who felt, or didn't feel (negative data is still data) the Earthquake, and can be contacted here.
See also An Earthquake off the coast of Margate, 8 April 2012, Southwest Poland hit by Earthquake, Zurich shaken by mild Earthquake, Earthquake in the Netherlands. 8 September 2011 and Earthquakes on Sciency Thoughts YouTube.
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