Moderate Earthquake Strikes England
【*】A moderate earthquake struck parts of southeast England on 28 April 2007, toppling chimneys from houses and rousing residents from their beds. Several thousand people were left without power in Kent County. One woman suffered minor head and neck injuries.
【*】It felt as if the whole house was being slid across like a fun-fair ride,"said the woman.
The British Geological Survey said the 4.3-magnitude(震级)quake struck at 8:19 a.m. and was centered under the English Channel, about 8.5 miles south of Dover and near the entrance to the Channel Tunnel.
【*】Witnesses said cracks appeared in and chimneys collapsed across the county. Residents said the tremor had lasted for about 10 to 15 seconds.
【*】I was lying in bed and it felt as if someone had just got up from bed next to me,"said Hendrick Van Eck, 27, of Canterbury about 60 miles southeast of London."I then heard the sound of cracking and it was getting heavier and heavier. It felt as if someone was at the end of my bed hopping up and down."There are thousands of moderate quakes on this scale around the world each year, but they are rare in Britain. The April 28 quake was the strongest in Britain since 2002 when a 4. 8-magnitude quake struck the central England city of Birmingham.
【*】The country's strongest earthquake took place in the North Sea in 1931, measuring 6.1 on the Richter(里氏)scale. British Geological Survey scientist Roger Musson said the quake took place on 28 April in an area that had seen several of the biggest earthquakes ever to strike Britain, including one in 1580 that caused damage in London and was felt in France. Musson predicted that it was only a matter of time before another earthquake struck this part of England. However, people should not scared too much by this prediction, Musson said, as the modern earthquake warning system of Britain should be able to detect a forthcoming quake and announce it several hours before it takes place. This would allow time for people to evacuate and reduce damage to the minimum.