Great Western Coffee Shop

If it rains much more the Rec will be under water.

Reports on Twitter talked of one building in Bridgwater "swaying" during the quake while others said it was felt as far away as Taunton.

And I just hear there's been a 4.1 magnitude earth tremor in the Bristol Channel, felt in Devon. Hope that doesn't shake up the infrastructure.

There was a documentary on T.V. a few years ago about a faultline under the Bristol Channel, which shifted in the 15thc and caused a tsunami in Weston-super-Mare; I wonder if it's the same one that's caused this earth tremor?

Earthquake confirmed in Bristol Channel

An earthquake has been recorded under the Bristol Channel, the British Geological Survey (BGS) has confirmed.

The 4.1 magnitude quake happened at about 13:21 GMT and was felt in Devon, south Wales and Somerset.

The focus was north of Ilfracombe, Devon, and south of the Gower, in Wales, and was at a depth of 3.1 miles (5km).

The BGS said it had received reports of people feeling the quake in Dartmoor, Bristol, Taunton, Swansea, Llanelli, Exmouth, Barnstaple, Gloucester and South Molton.

Susanne Sargeant, from the BGS, said it was "not unusual" to get quakes in the channel.

(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/73112000/jpg/_73112761_73112760.jpg)
The quake was felt in parts of south Wales, Devon and Somerset

"It is an area in the Bristol Channel we know to have seismological action," she said. "One guy called and said he was in his house when he felt the earthquake - he said it was a bit of a surprise. Things were shaking on the shelves and he ran outside.

"We do see earthquakes here from time to time and the last one was at Hartland Point in 2001 - that's 50km south west of today's earthquake."

Colin Taylor, who is a professor of earthquake engineering at the University of Bristol, said an event with a magnitude of 4.1 should not cause any significant damage. "Humans are very sensitive to movement and although it might feel quite noticeable the worse you're likely to get is perhaps cracks in plaster or old masonry," he said. "These so-called shallow events happen every now and again in the UK and is typically caused by a local fault - under stress - which moves from time to time.

"It is an intra-plate event rather than the inter-plate movement you'd see on something like the San Andreas fault in California."

That's a good point, Cynthia - although that 'tsunami' occurred on 30 January 1607, rather than in the 15th century: see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_Channel_floods,_1607  ;)

That's a good point, Cynthia - although that 'tsunami' occurred on 30 January 1607, rather than in the 15th century: see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_Channel_floods,_1607  ;)

A mere 'drop in the ocean', Cynthia!  ;D

CLAIMS of an earthquake in Swindon this afternoon were a little premature, after the British Geological Survey (BGS) clarified confusion surrounding tremors in the town.
 
Seismometers belonging to the earth science experts in the town did pick up ground movement caused by the earthquake, which began in the Bristol Channel, but this was not great enough for humans to feel it.
 

Meanwhile further east, the Swindon Advertiser reported the earthquake - but said you wouldn't notice....

Meanwhile further east, the Swindon Advertiser reported the earthquake - but said you wouldn't notice....

You didn't fall off your bike again did you bobm?  :P ;) ;D

(Someone ask him about his trip from Swindon to Bristol via Yatton.....)