An Earthquake? In England?

[Myrddraal]

The whole building just shook. I'm up working late, and I thought my head must be spinning, but people around felt it too. Apparently on the top floor the chairs moved and someone on the phone to London said they felt it there too!

Crazy stuff.

You heard it here first.


PS
Obviously it's not a serious earthquake, but still, the building shook for a good few seconds. Amazing!

[Marshal Murat]

You have not accepted Sharia law and Allah is not pleased....

[seireikhaan]

You have not accepted Sharia law and Allah is not pleased....

Next, Allah shall strike the Netherlands for being too slow in adopting it...

[Uesugi Kenshin]

Wow, that's kinda cool. So long as it doesn't become a major one anyway...

[Myrddraal]

There we go:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7266136.stm

Well, that's 1 thing crossed of my 100 to do before I die, and I didn't even have to go to a disaster zone!

[Myrddraal]

More:
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/...ps/10/0_55.php

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/...us2008nyae.php

Right, enough fun, off to bed.

[naut]

[Gregoshi]

I'm up working late...

Myddraal, I'm glad to hear you are just shaken and not stirred.

[Martok]

Woah. Glad you're okay, man. We had a mild quake like that out in rural Minnesota (where I used to live before moving to Minneapolis) several years back, so I know the feeling!

Myddraal, I'm glad to hear you are just shaken and not stirred.

Damn, Gregoshi. When you're good, you're *good*.

[Omanes Alexandrapolites]

I felt it too, although I originally thought it was a dream until I read this thread. The entire room was shaking and a exceptionally loud roar was audible. A few of the less stable ornaments fell off my the window sill. It was in a way terrifying, even though I was half asleep. It then gradually stopped, but there still was a very light tremor still moving the earth ever so very slightly.

I live about twelve miles south of the epicentre though, so I'm more likely to get a little more of the shock than you southerners.

[Decker]

Meh... that's nothin... it's like a bump in the road.

[Beirut]

Perhaps t'was the result of BKS finally landing those Canadian co-eds.

[KukriKhan]

Dang. That'll put the ka-bosh on Brits coming here as disaster tourists, now that they can get the same thing at home.

-edit-
I was stunned to read about that this a.m. Glad everyone's OK.

[Viking]

Of course the only time in my lifetime there has been an earthquake in the region, I was outside on a shooting range so I could pretty much just hear it; thunder from literally clear skies. Those who were inside could supposedly feel the house shaking.

I envy you that experience to be honest, since we are here talking about a minor quake.

[frogbeastegg]

There were two tremors here, shortly before 1am. The first woke me up, and made me think a car has crashed into one of the houses further down in the terraced row. The second followed about ten seconds later, and my A-level in geography allowed me to work out what it was. :einstein:

Until I heard that it was a local quake on this morning's news, I thought there must have been a very strong quake elsewhere and that we'd caught the outermost edge. It was a relief to hear this wasn't the case.

[InsaneApache]

I live about twelve miles south of the epicentre though, so I'm more likely to get a little more of the shock that you southerners.

Oi! I'll have less if you don't mind.

I was up watching the telly and it felt like a huge lorry had driven past. It was as windy as buggery as well, so at first I thought it was the chimney stack coming down. I went out to have a look and chimney was still there so I went to bed.

I was in Wales for the last one in 1984 n all....

[Justiciar]

Pennines proved a rather naff barrier. I was sat on the bog when it happened. The pun writes itself.

[El Diablo]

We tend to have the occassional earthquake here.

Does that make this place a disater zone?

Seems pretty quiet for a disaster zone really.

*sigh*

ED

[Mikeus Caesar]

Diablo - we're British. It's a written law (and obscure so you'll never find it) that it is our right as British people to get worked up and make a big fuss about things whenever they happen, but only if they are things that don't happen to us very much.

Wish i still lived there, i most likely would have felt it. Then again, my room did have quite a few bookcases that i hadn't assembled very well, so maybe it's best i left.

[Viking]

Diablo - we're British. It's a written law (and obscure so you'll never find it) that it is our right as British people to get worked up and make a big fuss about things whenever they happen, but only if they are things that don't happen to us very much.

It's a written international law, I can assure you.

[El Diablo]

Ha ha fair enough - it is very Brittish to look down ones nose, raise ones eyebrows and sort of "hrumph" (I know as my Mother was born there and I have had 33 years of it).

I do remember being rather disturbed when working in the UK on construction sites as to the lack of reinforcing steel that is used in building when compared to NZ. But a real lack of "good ones" means that the designs were more than adequate.

Working on sites here they have base isolator pads, sliders and all types of technical wizardry to keep the buildings upright in the event of the big one. Talking to the design engineers is a bit dark though - they dont expect the building to be usable after the big one they just want it vertical long enough for everyone to get out. Niiiiiiiiiicccceee...

[Mikeus Caesar]

Ha ha fair enough - it is very Brittish to look down ones nose, raise ones eyebrows and sort of "hrumph" (I know as my Mother was born there and I have had 33 years of it).

I do remember being rather disturbed when working in the UK on construction sites as to the lack of reinforcing steel that is used in building when compared to NZ. But a real lack of "good ones" means that the designs were more than adequate.

Working on sites here they have base isolator pads, sliders and all types of technical wizardry to keep the buildings upright in the event of the big one. Talking to the design engineers is a bit dark though - they dont expect the building to be usable after the big one they just want it vertical long enough for everyone to get out. Niiiiiiiiiicccceee...

Yes, i'm always quite proud of the fact that it's a country where you could build a large building out of plywood if you wanted and not worry.

[Beirut]

Just where is BKS anyway?

Uncrushed, I hope.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

Just where is BKS anyway?

Uncrushed, I hope.

I don't think there were any deaths, so I'm sure he's fine.

[Whacker]

Also glad to hear our Brit friends are ok. A 5.2 on the Richter scale is definitely nothing to sneeze at.

Whole lotta shakin' goin' on!

Edit -

This is most interesting, there really aren't any major fault lines too close to the British Isles, and no real significant activity that would indicate volcanism. Linky: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...tonics_map.gif

[Myrddraal]

The British Geological survey said that we get earthquakes in this region on this scale about every 20 years.

But I agree, just what causes an earthquake in Lincolnshire?

[Viking]

Do earthquakes occur in Britain?

YES, between 200 and 300 earthquakes are detected and located in the UK, by the British Geological Survey annually. Although distant from the nearest plate boundary, the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, earthquakes occur as crustal stresses within the tectonic plates are relieved by movement occurring on pre-existing fault planes. The risk from these earthquakes is not insignificant and must be considered when engineering for sensitive installations.

http://www.earthquakes.bgs.ac.uk/ear...faqs/faq6.html

Edit: some more background info on British earthquakes on the same site

http://www.earthquakes.bgs.ac.uk/hazard/Hazard_UK.htm

The whole of Ireland is practically free of earthquakes. This is clearly a real phenomenon and not a product of reporting - one writer, as early as the 17th century, remarks in describing an earthquake (probably Welsh) felt in Dublin in 1534, that an earthquake is such a rare thing in Ireland that when it happens it is considered a wonder.

Heh..

[The Wandering Scholar]

I think growing obesity is causing unprecedented strain on the tectonic plates...

[InsaneApache]

Is it possible to have shrinking obesity?

[The Wandering Scholar]

Atkins diet?