Micro earthquake near Bristol causes windows and furniture to vibrate

BRISTOL DRONE
Residents in Bristol reported feeling the earthquake and noticed furniture and windows were left shaking. Credit: ITV West Country

A small earthquake near Bristol caused windows and furniture to vibrate.

It reportedly struck in Caldicot, Monmouthsire, on Sunday 16 May and was felt by residents in Bristol in the afternoon.

People noticed the quake after reporting "the coffee table and sofa vibrated" and "the windows rattled".

One person said they initially thought a car had hit their house when the earthquake started at around 3.16pm.

The earthquake registered a magnitude of 2.9 on the Richter scale according to the British Geological Survey.

This magnitude of earthquake is described as 'micro' and is generally not felt by people but happens more than 100,000 times per year.

The most recent tremor to be felt in Bristol happened in September 2020 and it measured up to 3.8 on the Richter scale.

These 'minor' earthquakes are felt by many people but generally cause no damage despite occurring between 12,000 and 100,000 times per year.

According to BGS the largest known British earthquake occurred near the Dogger Bank in 1931, with a magnitude of 6.1.

The causes of earthquakes in the UK are unclear but generally involves the movement of tectonic plates causing regions to compress and pressure to build up beneath the surface.

Also the land in the UK is slowly rebounding after being covered by heavy ice sheets thousands of years ago and this gradual movement also plays a role in causing seismic activity.

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