A magnitude 3.2 earthquake hit the northern Netherlands on Tuesday, among the strongest on record in the region that frequently experiences earthquakes due to the exploitation of a natural gas field, announced the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI).
The earthquake was felt at 1:46 a.m., in the village of Garrelsweer, in the vicinity and as far as the city of Groningen, where the largest natural gas field in the European Union is located, which is scheduled to close in 2022.
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The Groningen Mining Damage Institute told AFP that it had received 212 damage reports, 160 in the affected area shortly before 4 p.m. local time.
Eight of them reported "potentially serious" damage.
Usually, around 80 reports are recorded daily.
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.
"Top 4" earthquakes in the region
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 3.6 magnitude earthquake recorded in Huizinge in 2012 was the strongest ever recorded in the region.
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 region, 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.
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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 could be "necessary" when the field is expected to close. Stef Blok 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.