Earthquake continued...

Found this as to why Britain, far away from plate margins, experienced an earthquake:

The UK lies well away from the world's tectonic hotspots but these processes still play a role in the country's relatively small tremors.

Many of the quakes in the UK are clustered around an enormous block of rock known as the Midlands Microcraton. This is an ancient, Precambrian (older than 590 million years) feature that runs up through Birmingham towards the Potteries.

It is composed of harder rocks than those either side of it. Although the details are not well understood, it seems likely that, in response to tectonic pressures originating in the Atlantic (where the surface of the Earth is being pulled apart), those softer rocks on either side are disturbed.

There are a number of active faults that line the Midlands Microcraton and many of the tremors experienced on the western side of the English Midlands, up to the Pennines, are a result of rocks jostling in this area.

Britain also feels the effects of earthquakes in the North Sea. Here, the crust is much thinner and it is also marked by large numbers of faults.

Conversely the BGS are keen to have feedback on the earthquake from all and sundry:

The British Geological Survey will be keen to hear from anyone who experienced the quake. It will be useful to know how strong the shaking was at different distances, measured in terms of the effects that people noticed - rattling windows, falling ornaments and so on.

Knowing the distance at which strong effects might occur in an earthquake is important for safety planning. Engineers at nuclear power stations, for example, need to understand how their plant may be affected by tremors.

If you felt the quake, the BGS is urging you to visit its website and to fill in one of its online forms.

And you can find the short questionnaire HERE.