(The Hague) A magnitude 3.2 earthquake struck on Tuesday in the north of the Netherlands, among the strongest on record in the region which frequently experiences earthquakes due to the exploitation of a deposit of natural gas, announced the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI).
The earthquake was felt at 1:46 a.m. (7:46 p.m. Monday, EST) in the village of Garrelsweer, around and into the city of Groningen, where the largest natural gas field in the European Union is located. , which is scheduled to close in 2022.
The Groningen Mining Damage Institute said it received 212 damage reports, 160 in the affected area shortly before 4 p.m. local time (10 a.m. EST). Eight of them reported “potentially serious” damage. Usually, around 80 reports are recorded daily.
Inspection of dikes and locks
Local authorities have started to inspect any damage that may affect dikes, locks and other dams, and residents have been urged to “be alert to any irregularities,” the ANP news agency reported.
The recorded earthquake is among the “top 4 most intense earthquakes recorded in the region of the Groningen gas field,” KNMI reported, and the “most intense” earthquake in the region since May 2019 (3,4 ) in Westerwijdwerd (west of Garrelsweer).
Garrelsweer had already experienced a major earthquake in 2011, with a magnitude of 3.2. The magnitude 3.6 earthquake, recorded in 2012 in Huizinge, is the strongest ever recorded in the region.
Collapse of underground cavities
Small in magnitude, but close to the surface, these earthquakes due to vacuum pockets formed during gas extraction have already caused extensive damage.
The state mine watchdog (SodM) said the number of earthquakes felt in the area, higher than expected, was “disturbing.” SodM estimates that such earthquakes could still be felt for decades.
The government decided in 2020 to bring the end of gas extraction in Groningen, initially scheduled for 2030, to the summer of 2022.
Earlier this month, amid a European shortage and soaring gas prices, Economic Affairs Minister Stef Blok warned that an increase in the level of extraction may be necessary when the field is expected to close.
Mr Blok blamed the delay during the pandemic in setting up a new nitrogen installation, which should play an important role in limiting gas extraction in Groningen.
The government also presented Tuesday to Parliament the outline of a plan to strengthen homes over several years. It is estimated that around half of the 27,000 homes included in the plan will need consolidation work.