Small earthquake hits Groningen, residents report shaking

A small earthquake, registering a preliminary magnitude of 2.0, struck Groningen province on Tuesday afternoon. Such quakes can be felt by residents. The epicenter was near the village of Woudbloem in the municipality of Midden-Groningen, a few kilometers east of the city of Groningen. The tremor occurred at 1:18 p.m.

The Ministry of the Interior recommends that anyone who experienced damage from Tuesday’s quake report it to the Groningen Mining Damage Institute.

“Even though gas extraction has stopped, earthquakes continue to occur,” wrote State Secretary Eddie van Marum on X. “We remain committed to quick damage compensation, reinforcing homes, and creating opportunities for Groningen residents,” added the caretaker BBB official.

Multiple residents reported the tremor through RTV Noord’s earthquake tracker. A person from Scharmer described it as a “light shake of the house, but clearly noticeable.” One man from Harkstede said the plates in his cupboard were rattling.

Mid-November saw a 3.4-magnitude earthquake near Zeerijp in Groningen, one of the strongest ever measured in the province. A 2.1 aftershock followed a few hours later. Zeerijp lies just over 10 kilometers north of Woudbloem. Earlier in the year, a 2.2-magnitude quake struck near Usquert in February, and in May, the KNMI recorded a 2.1 quake near Warffum.

The earthquakes in Groningen result from historical gas extraction. Although gas pumping has ceased, the ground has not completely settled. These tremors are known as induced earthquakes, meaning they are triggered by human activity rather than by natural geological faults.

Tuesday's was the ninth earthquake since the start of November. Though the magnitude of earthquakes in the region tend to be relatively low, the induced earthquakes can feel much stronger due to the composition of the soil and their occurrence at a relatively shallow depth.

The first gas-induced earthquake occurred in 1986 near Assen. Tuesday’s tremor marks the 1,993rd induced earthquake recorded by the KNMI and the 35th so far this year. In comparison, there were 42 such quakes last year, 50 the year before, and 58 in 2022. The record remains 2013, when gas extraction triggered 133 earthquakes.

The most powerful quake struck near Huizinge in 2012, registering a magnitude of 3.6. Almost 200 induced earthquakes have reached 2.0 or higher, with 24 of them measuring 3.0 or more.