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NOS News•today, 09:19
An earthquake with a magnitude of 1.8 was measured last night near Kommerzijl in Groningen. That happened around 12:50 am, the KNMI reports.
The meteorological institute previously reported that it was an earthquake with a magnitude of 2.2. That number was later adjusted. The quake was registered at a depth of 3 kilometers. An hour and a half later, another light tremor followed with a magnitude of 0.7.
The KNMI says that this is an earthquake with a non-natural cause, in this case vibrations of the earth due to gas extraction. It is not clear whether this earthquake was felt by residents. The magnitude of the earthquake was on the edge of what could be felt.
Yesterday afternoon there was also an earthquake in Groningen. It was at Usquert and had a magnitude of 1.5.
Gas tap closed
Although the gas tap in Groningen was permanently closed this month, the earthquakes are not over yet. This is due to underground pressure differences that have arisen from years of gas extraction. However, the number of earthquakes is decreasing due to the closure of the gas field. At the low point in 2013, the most earthquakes occurred: 119 in Groningen alone, of which 30 had a magnitude of more than 1.5.
