Earthquakes in the Netherlands occur mostly in the southeast and northeast of the country, with mostly
tectonic
Tectonics (; ) are the processes that control the structure and properties of the Earth's crust and its evolution through time. These include the processes of mountain building, the growth and behavior of the strong, old cores of continents k ...
earthquakes in the southeast and
induced
Induce may refer to:
* Induced consumption
* Induced innovation
* Induced character
* Induced coma
* Induced menopause
* Induced metric
* Induced path
* Induced topology
* Induce (musician), American musician
See also
* Inducement (disambiguation ...
earthquakes in the northeast. The
Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute
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started with seismic registrations in 1904. The heaviest earthquake was the
1992 Roermond earthquake
The 1992 Roermond earthquake occurred on 13 April, around 3:20 AM (1:20 UTC) with a moment magnitude of 5.3 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (''Severe''). Striking on the Peel Boundary Fault, a normal fault near Roermond, it was the str ...
with a magnitude of 5.8.
Seismic registration
The first time that seismic activity in the Netherlands was registered by the
Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute
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(KNMI) in
De Bilt was on 26 June 1904.
Tectonic earthquakes
The natural earthquakes that occur in the southeast of the Netherlands are caused by active rifts of the
European Cenozoic Rift System
The European Cenozoic Rift System (ECRIS) is a long system of rifts formed in the foreland of the Alps as the lithosphere responded to the effects of the Alpine and Pyrenean orogenies. The system began to form during the Late Eocene and parts ( ...
. The
1992 Roermond earthquake
The 1992 Roermond earthquake occurred on 13 April, around 3:20 AM (1:20 UTC) with a moment magnitude of 5.3 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (''Severe''). Striking on the Peel Boundary Fault, a normal fault near Roermond, it was the str ...
in the southeastern province of
Limburg
Limburg or Limbourg may refer to:
Regions
* Limburg (Belgium), a province since 1839 in the Flanders region of Belgium
* Limburg (Netherlands), a province since 1839 in the south of the Netherlands
* Diocese of Limburg, Roman Catholic Diocese in ...
was the heaviest registered earthquake in the Netherlands. It had a magnitude of 5.8 and occurred in
Roermond
Roermond (; li, Remunj or ) is a city, municipality, and diocese in the Limburg province of the Netherlands. Roermond is a historically important town on the lower Roer on the east bank of the river Meuse. It received town rights in 1231. Roer ...
on 13 April 1992.
Induced earthquakes
Since 1986, there have been around 1,000
induced
Induce may refer to:
* Induced consumption
* Induced innovation
* Induced character
* Induced coma
* Induced menopause
* Induced metric
* Induced path
* Induced topology
* Induce (musician), American musician
See also
* Inducement (disambiguation ...
earthquakes in the northeast of the Netherlands caused by the exploitation of the
Groningen gas field
The Groningen gas field is a natural gas field in Groningen province in the northeastern part of the Netherlands. With an estimated 2,740 billion cubic metres of recoverable natural gas it is the largest natural gas field in Europe and one of t ...
near
Slochteren
Slochteren () is a village and former municipality with a population of 15,546 in the province of Groningen in the northeast of the Netherlands. On 1 January 2018, Slochteren merged with Hoogezand-Sappemeer and Menterwolde, forming the municipalit ...
. The heaviest registered earthquake in the northeastern province of
Groningen
Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of the northern part of t ...
had a magnitude of 3.6 and occurred in
Huizinge
Huizinge () is a village with a population of 100 in the municipality of Eemsdelta in the province of Groningen (province), Groningen in the northeast of the Netherlands.
On 16 August 2012, the heaviest induced seismicity, induced List of earthqu ...
on 16 August 2013.
This event count shows a remarkable exponential growth in time, which would possibly lead to one event per day in 2025. While moderate in magnitude, the sheer number of events acts as a physical stressor to living conditions and gives an adverse outlook long term on structural integrity of homes and buildings. On March 29, 2018 the government therefore announced it would shut down the gas extraction on this field entirely by 2030 at the latest. It is projected the normal exploration will end by 2022, while still serving as a reserve for exceptionally cold winters. After peaking in 2013 the number of induced earthquakes with a magnitude > 1,5 has been decreasing.
, van Putten, M.H.P.M., van Putten, A.F.P., & van Putten, M.J.A.M., 2016, Earthquakes and Structures, 11, 861
Heaviest earthquakes
Since 1904, there were seven earthquakes in the Netherlands with a magnitude of 4.0 or higher. All were noninduced earthquakes in the southeastern provinces of Limburg
Limburg or Limbourg may refer to:
Regions
* Limburg (Belgium), a province since 1839 in the Flanders region of Belgium
* Limburg (Netherlands), a province since 1839 in the south of the Netherlands
* Diocese of Limburg, Roman Catholic Diocese in ...
and North Brabant
North Brabant ( nl, Noord-Brabant ; Brabantian: ; ), also unofficially called Brabant, is a province in the south of the Netherlands. It borders the provinces of South Holland and Gelderland to the north, Limburg to the east, Zeeland to the we ...
.[Geïnduceerde aardbevingen in Nederland]
Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute
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, picture = FS IMG 8907 KNMI.jpg
, picture_width = 250px
, picture_caption = KNMI headquarters in De Bilt
, for ...
, 2013. Retrieved on 17 March 2015.
References
External links
*
{{Europe topic, List of earthquakes in
Netherlands
)
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Earthquakes
An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from ...