Groningen hit by another earthquake

By Janene Pieters on February 12, 2018 - 08:43
Milieudefensie and Groningen residents dump fracking earthquake rubble in front of the Ministry of Economic Affairs in The Hague, 26 Oct 2017
Milieudefensie and Groningen residents dump fracking earthquake rubble in front of the Ministry of Economic Affairs in The Hague, 26 Oct 2017. (Photo: @milieudefensie / Twitter)

The province of Groningen was hit by another earthquake caused by gas extraction on Sunday afternoon. The quake had a magnitude of 2.2, according to meteorological institute KNMI. It's epicenter was in the town of Garrelsweer at a depth of 3 kilometers.

On Thursday a 2.0 magnitude earthquake could also be felt in the province. This one's epicenter was in Scharmer, near Loppersum. 

So far this year there were 14 seismic events in the Netherlands that registered on the Richter scale, according to the KNMI. All but one of them were related to gas extraction. The strongest, with a magnitude of 3.4, happened in Zeerijp on January 8th. 

Early this month Dutch petroleum company NAM stopped production at the Loppersum gas fields. This happened based on urgent advice from the state supervision of mines SoDM after the earthquake in Zeerijp early last month, the strongest earthquake in the region in five years. 

 

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