Minor tremor in north of Netherlands

The province of Groningen in the north of the Netherlands was woken by a slight tremor early in the morning. The Royal Meteorological Institute says the quake had a strength of 2.5 on the Richter scale. Its epicentre was in the hamlet of Wittewierum. No damage has been reported.

Tremors are quite common in the area, occurring four or five times a year. They are caused by the extraction of natural gas from a field below Groningen.

Natural gas monument, Groningen (Photo: FlickR/Detlev Schobert). The monument depicts an enlarged methane gas molecule and commemorates 40 years of natural gas extraction in the province.


Source: rnw.nl/