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English Channel earthquake | Magnitude 3.9 | 14 July 2011

Date 14 July 2011
Origin time 06:59 10.9s UTC
Lat/Lon 50.122° North / -0.743° West
Depth 10 km
Magnitude 3.9 ML
Locality English Channel, 85 km south-east of Portsmouth

The British Geological Survey have detected an earthquake of magnitude 3.9 at 06:59 UTC (07:59 BST) this morning (14 July 2011) located approximately 80 km south-south-east of Portsmouth, Hampshire.

Several residents from the Worthing, West Sussex, area have reported having felt this event, one describing 'it only lasted a few seconds'.

‘This is the largest earthquake in this area, within 25 km, since a magnitude 4.5 event in 1734.

Historically, there have been two other significant events nearby (30–40 km away); a magnitude 5.0 earthquake in 1878 and a magnitude 4.3 earthquake in 1750.

In the UK we experience a earthquake of this magnitude approximately every two years.’

Contact

Contact ukeqs@bgs.ac.uk for further information.

English channel

English channel seismograms