2002 Dudley earthquake
Encyclopedia
The 2002 Dudley earthquake was an earthquake
registering 4.7 on the Richter scale
that struck the Midlands of England
, on 22 September 2002 23:53 UTC (23 September, 00:53 local time) and lasted approximately 20 seconds.
It was the largest earthquake to hit the UK since the 1990 Bishop's Castle earthquake
, but there were no injuries and only minor structural damage. The epicentre was located at the junction of High Arcal Road and Himley Road , in the borough of South Staffordshire
, which is just outside the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley
and approximately two miles beyond the borders of Dudley
town.
The tremor was felt over an area of 260000 square kilometres (100,387 sq mi) including Wales
, Liverpool
, Derby
, Yorkshire
, Wiltshire
and London
. The furthest felt reports came from Carlisle in the north, and Truro
in the South.
An aftershock
of magnitude 2.7 occurred on 23 September at 03:32 UTC (04:32 local time), and was felt locally in Dudley and Birmingham.
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
registering 4.7 on the Richter scale
Richter magnitude scale
The expression Richter magnitude scale refers to a number of ways to assign a single number to quantify the energy contained in an earthquake....
that struck the Midlands of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, on 22 September 2002 23:53 UTC (23 September, 00:53 local time) and lasted approximately 20 seconds.
It was the largest earthquake to hit the UK since the 1990 Bishop's Castle earthquake
1990 Bishop's Castle earthquake
The 1990 Bishop's Castle earthquake was an earthquake that hit near the town of Bishop's Castle, Shropshire, England on 2 April 1990.-Location, date and time:...
, but there were no injuries and only minor structural damage. The epicentre was located at the junction of High Arcal Road and Himley Road , in the borough of South Staffordshire
South Staffordshire
South Staffordshire is a local government district in Staffordshire, England. The district lies to the north and west of Wolverhampton and the West Midlands, bordering Shropshire to the west and Worcestershire to the south...
, which is just outside the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley
Metropolitan Borough of Dudley
The Metropolitan Borough of Dudley is a metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It was created in 1974, and is made up of the towns of Dudley , Stourbridge , Halesowen, Brierley Hill, Amblecote, Sedgley and Coseley...
and approximately two miles beyond the borders of Dudley
Dudley
Dudley is a large town in the West Midlands county of England. At the 2001 census , the Dudley Urban Sub Area had a population of 194,919, making it the 26th largest settlement in England, the second largest town in the United Kingdom behind Reading, and the largest settlement in the UK without...
town.
The tremor was felt over an area of 260000 square kilometres (100,387 sq mi) including Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, Derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The furthest felt reports came from Carlisle in the north, and Truro
Truro
Truro is a city and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The city is the centre for administration, leisure and retail in Cornwall, with a population recorded in the 2001 census of 17,431. Truro urban statistical area, which includes parts of surrounding parishes, has a 2001 census...
in the South.
An aftershock
Aftershock
An aftershock is a smaller earthquake that occurs after a previous large earthquake, in the same area of the main shock. If an aftershock is larger than the main shock, the aftershock is redesignated as the main shock and the original main shock is redesignated as a foreshock...
of magnitude 2.7 occurred on 23 September at 03:32 UTC (04:32 local time), and was felt locally in Dudley and Birmingham.