Wednesday 27 February 2008

Britain quakes

quake_185x360_289826a An earthquake, in Britain!

Glenn Ford, a senior seismologist at the British Geological Survey (BGS), said: “It’s an extremely large earthquake in UK terms but not large in world terms; we’d classify it only as a light earthquake."

Light by world terms, sure, but still large in terms of the low level of earthquake engineering built into British buildings. 

Fortunately, neither injuries nor serious damage are reported.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Must be climate change ;-)

Berend de Boer said...

Spot on kiwicrog!

Gaia is hitting back.

But seriously, I thought geology was a bit more settled than this. It's a seriously disturbing earthquake for a country that supposedly has stable rock.

Libertyscott said...

Shit, I was in a rather ancient hotel building in Manchester and went into "Wellington earthquake mode" I was woken up and rushed instinctively to the door frame - it shook quite violently (and I've been in stronger quakes that felt far far less sharp). Of course most people here rushed into the streets and .. wait for it kiwicrog, the one of the ITV breakfast anchors asked a geologist whether it is due to climate change!

Anonymous said...

Oh, Oh, Mmmmm!!! Yes! It's Global Warming! (Do usual whimpering Socialist hand flap now).

Andrew B said...

I didn't feel anything here in Londonistan.

Anonymous said...

Libertyscott, if you are caught inside a building during a quake and wish to survive, do not, repeat, NOT, get in the doorway or get under a table or desk. The first option will see you guillotined in half and the second, crushed. The statistics are irrefutable. Survivors of building collapse are nearly always found in "the Triangle of Life" formed next to a hard incompressible object, such as a dresser. Rescuers who entered a collapsed school after the big Mexican jolt in the 80's were horified to find the children had dutifully got under their desks and had nearly all perished, crushed flat. The only survivors were those in the tiny area beside the desk. What we have been taught in schools is a complete crock and will only add to the death toll.

George

Rebel Radius said...

When I was living in Reading, we had a small quake however it was enough to shake a few bricks loose from a few chimney's. What surprised me was the immense public reaction to it.

(Almost the same amount of hysteria as the JAFFA's when a magnitude 4 hit up north a few months ago - wink)

Libertyscott said...

Interesting point George, fortunately I think the odds of having to worry about it again in the UK are slim