Earthquake hits Groningen town; eighth quake in May

With reporting by Zack Newmark An earthquake hit the town of Uithuizen in Groningen on Wednesday afternoon at around 1 p.m., according to the meteorological agency KNMI. The eighth earthquake this month in Groningen measured 2.0 on the Richter scale. The KNMI real-time seismic monitors recorded a magnitude of 2.2 on the Richter scale but after a seismological analysis, the magnitude was revised downward, the Telegraaf reported. Area residents felt the quake and a number of people in social media talked about a loud bang and a strong vibration. Earthquakes in the Groningen region are often caused by the extraction of natural gas from the ground there. As the frequency of earthquakes intensified, residents in the area stepped up protests in effort to cut down on the production of gas. The Dutch government committed to reducing the amount of gas drawn from wells, while the Council of State mandated the shutdown of some facilities.