Remote Scottish region hit with 18th earthquake in just eight months

A remote area of the Scottish Highlands has suffered its 18th earthquake in just eight months as residents said it sounded ‘like an explosion’.

A 1.3 magnitude tremor was recorded at Morvern at 6.34am on Monday, May 20.

The British Geological Survey said it was felt by a resident in Kingairloch, who described ‘a faint sound like an explosion’.

The epicentre was near the A884, near Allt Beithheach.

A previous 2.8 quake on February 1 was felt by people in Acharacle, Strontian, Highland and Port Appin, Argyll and Bute, all within 20 km (12.4 miles) of the epicentre.

Reports then described, ‘a loud rumbling sound’, ‘felt a weak trembling’ and it ‘felt like a lorry was driving into the house’.

It was recorded at a depth of 7km and was followed at 7.06pm by a 1.4 magnitude quake, which was 1km shallower.

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Morvern has suffered a series of earthquakes in recent months – at least 18 since October.

Scientists have said that earthquakes can come in clusters called an earthquake swarm. This is a sequence of seismic events occurring in a local area within a relatively short period of time.

There are roughly 200-300 earthquakes in Britain every year, but the vast majority are so small that no one notices them. However between 20-30 are over 2.0 magnitude which can be felt over a wider area.

The largest known Scottish earthquake on land occurred near Loch Awe in 1880, with a magnitude of 5.2.

UK earthquakes, particularly in Scotland, are most often attributed to glacial rebound. Until about 10,500 years ago much of the north of the UK was covered by a thick layer of ice – which pushed the rocks down into the underlying mantle.

These rocks have been slowly rising back up ever since the ice melted, causing occasional earthquakes in the process.

The UK is also subject to tectonic stresses caused by the expansion of the Atlantic Ocean, which is slowly pushing the entire of Eurasia to the east, and from the northward motion of Africa, which is pushing into Europe from the south.