Birmingham earthquake 2022: magnitude 2.8 of Walsall quake on Richter Scale - 2008 and Dudley 2002 comparisons

The quake had a magnitude of 2.8 and was felt by people across the West Midlands region.

The epicentre of Monday evening’s quake  was  roughly eight miles  away from where an earthquake affected Dudley in September 2002.

That earthquake had a magnitude of 4.7 when it occurred.

There was also an earthquake in the West Midlands region in 2008 - this quake measured 5.2 on the Richter Scale.

Monday’s earthquake hit the region just days after Storms Dudley, Eunice and Franklin caused widespread disruption with strong winds and driving rain.

How big was the earthquake and when did it occur?

The quake had a magnitude 2.8  and a depth of more than four miles. According to the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) the epicentre was five miles north west of Birmingham.

The EMCS said the earthquake occurred shortly before 11pm on Monday.

What did the BGS say about the earthquake?

The BGS is, according to their website, the UK’s premier provider of objective and authoritative geoscientific data, information and knowledge to help society to use its natural resources responsibly, manage environmental change and be resilient to environmental hazards.

The BGS was contacted by people across the region to report that they felt tremors on Monday night.

A spokesperson for the BGS said: “Felt by many residents in Walsall, Wolverhampton, Birmingham, Dudley and surrounding areas, mainly from within approximately 20 km of the epicentre.

“This event is located approximately 13 km east of the magnitude 4.7 ML Dudley earthquake which occurred on 22 September 2002 and was felt over most of England with maximum intensities of 5 EMS.”

What did eyewitnesses have to say about the earthquake?

Reports sent in by members of the public to the BGS include: "heard a faint rumbling before the sensation of being hit in the back of the chair", and "my first thought was something had fallen off the bed.”

Other reports filed include: "[It] was like a wardrobe had fallen over or an explosion blast against the window", "heard a rumbling sound and vibration like a large object was rolling past" and "felt the house shake".

Where was the earthquake felt?

Several towns in the wider West Midlands region are thought to have felt the earthquake.

Online site Volcano Discovery said: “Other towns or cities near the epicentre where the quake might have been felt as very weak shaking include Walsall (pop. 172,100) located 6 km from the epicentre, Birmingham (pop. 984,300) 7 km away, Sutton Coldfield (pop. 107,000) 8 km away, Tipton (pop. 47,000) 10 km away, Dudley (pop. 199,100) 12 km away, Wolverhampton (pop. 252,800) 14 km away, and Solihull (pop. 96,300) 18 km away.”

What causes an earthquake?

The BGS summarise what causes an earthquake in the news pages of their website.

They say: “Earthquakes are the result of sudden movement along faults within the Earth.

“The movement releases stored-up ‘elastic strain’ energy in the form of seismic waves, which propagate through the Earth and cause the ground surface to shake.”

What can I do if I felt the earthquake?

If you were impacted by the earthquake, the BGS is asking for people to submit a report to help them with their work and research into the earthquakes.

The spokesperson added: “If you felt last night’s seismic activity, or even if you are in the area and didn’t feel it, we’d appreciate you filling out our felt report.

“This helps our seismologists learn more about the quake’s intensity.”

For more information and to fill in the survey, follow this link on their website