Is there any pattern to UK seismicity?
YES. Seismicity distribution for mainland and offshore UK is neither random nor uniform in density, with more frequent and larger events occurring on the west coast. In Scotland, most of this activity is concentrated between Ullapool and Dunoon with centres near the Great Glen and clusters of activity at Comrie. North Wales, especially around Caernarvon and the Lleyn Peninsula, and the Welsh border area also show higher levels of seismicity. The NE of Scotland and the SE of England are, in contrast, areas of low seismicity, although examination of the historical record shows that NE Scotland, around Inverness, and SE England were both active. Areas like Aberdeen and Caithness have, however, always been quiet. Offshore, in the North Sea, there is a clear correlation of epicentres with the major structures, the Viking and Central grabens, the Norwegian coastal region and with the NE Atlantic passive margin. The master basin-bounding faults are, therefore, currently active. The stuctural highs in this region are, in contrast, relatively aseismic, for example the West Shetland Platform and the Mid North Sea High.
