47 earthquakes in the Netherlands last year; fewer than 2023

There were a total of 47 earthquakes in the Netherlands last year. Just seven of these were natural earthquakes, with 40 of them coming as a result of gas extraction. This is considerably lower than last year when there were 62 quakes. This conclusion was reached by the KNMI on Thursday in their annual review of the earthquakes.

The Groningenveld had to deal with 36 “induced earthquakes," which are earthquakes that are caused by human actions. This number has also dropped in comparison to previous years, as there were 43 of this type of earthquake last year.

The other four of the earthquakes were at smaller gas fields: one in Drenthe and three in Groningen. The number of earthquakes in the north of the country has been decreasing for several years as the gas tap has been closed.

Gas drilling was ordered to stop in Groningen in October 2023. The current Cabinet has agreed that there will be no more drilling for Gas from Groningen. However, climate minister Sophie Hermans announced at the beginning of December that the NAM would be allowed to drill for gas until 2032 at the village of Warffum, Groningen.

This led to outraged reactions from the opposition and in Groningen. The Cabinet said that the agreement was about the Groningenveld and not about smaller fields in the province.

The seven natural earthquakes occurred in the southern part of the country. These were caused by plate tectonics or the sliding of the earth's plates. The heaviest this year was at Roosteren in Limburg and had a magnitude of 1.7. The heaviest induced earthquake was at Garsthuizen in Groningen, which had a magnitude of 2.2.