There was an earthquake near Ekehaar this afternoon. According to the KNMI, the shock had a magnitude of 1.3 on the Richter scale.
The quake occurred at 3:15 p.m. and was at a depth of 3 kilometers.
The north of Drenthe has been shaken by earthquakes more often in recent months. At the beginning of this month, the ground under Hooghalen shook, at the time with a force of 1.9 on the Richter scale. The KNMI attributed the earthquake to gas extraction in Eleveld.
This afternoon’s earthquake is also probably related to gas extraction there. “And in the past, this has caused more earthquakes,” says seismologist Läslo Evers of the KNMI. “So it’s not completely strange.”
In August there were two earthquakes in Winde within one day with a magnitude of 1.6 and 1.7 on the Richter scale. These are also said to be related to gas extraction. Gas is extracted at Vries, nearby. In September 2020 there was also an earthquake in Winde, with a magnitude of 1.8. Subsequently, 33 damage reports were received by the Institute for Mining Damage Groningen (IMG).
Evers cannot predict whether earthquakes will occur (much) more often in North Drenthe. “But I cannot rule out that it will happen again,” said Evers. According to him, the magnitude of 1.3, as the earthquake now occurred, is ‘on the border of the palpable’.
The strongest earthquake to date in the gas extraction area was on August 16, 2012 near Huizinge in North Groningen. The earthquake had a magnitude of 3.6. The Groningen gas tap was turned off as of October 1.