GERMANY

Known induced event18 July 2008

Magnitude
3.2ML
Depth
1.0km
Belgian time
20:12:402008-07-18
UTC
18:12:402008-07-18

Main parameters

Magnitude and intensity

Two numbers often confused, with the values of this earthquake and of the Observatory’s catalogue.

Preparing the animation…

1Magnitude: the size of the earthquake

The magnitude (ML 3.2) measures the size of the earthquake at its source, from the amplitude of the waves recorded by seismographs: a single value for the whole earthquake. Since 1985, 97 % of the 3,122 earthquakes with a magnitude in the Observatory’s catalogue have a smaller one.

Animation drawn from the page and the Observatory’s catalogue (tectonic earthquakes since 1985, ML or MW magnitudes); short descriptions of the European Macroseismic Scale EMS-98.

Date and time2008-07-18 18:12:40 UTC
2008-07-18 20:12:40 Belgian time
MagnitudeML 3.2
Epicentral coordinates52.323° N, 7.713° E
Depth of hypocenter1.0 km
Event IDROB 3076

Data source : ROB (Royal Observatory of Belgium)
Last update : 2009-05-30 18:17:43 Belgian time

Location map

Where and when the earthquake began

The focus, the epicentre and their uncertainties, with this earthquake’s values.

Preparing the animation…

1Focus and epicentre

An earthquake starts at depth, at the focus (or hypocentre): here 1 km below the surface. The point on the surface right above it is the epicentre (52.323° N, 7.713° E), the one the map shows.

Values from the page and the Observatory’s catalogue (tectonic earthquakes since 1985).

Seismic activity in the area

Known earthquakes around the epicentre, from the catalogue of the Royal Observatory of Belgium.

Within 10 km of the epicentre

No other earthquake known in the catalogue.

Nearest beyond 10 km

DatePlaceMagnitudeIntensityDistance km
2018-10-01ESSEN (DE)inducedML 3.9–50.1
2013-12-20CAPPELNinducedML 2.2457.9
2005-04-01N. HAMM (DE)inducedML 1.9–62.4
2014-12-19EMSTEK (DE)inducedML 2.7364.3
2005-02-05HAMM (DE)inducedML 1.9–67.9
Notes and method

Tectonic and induced earthquakes from the Observatory’s catalogue, suspected ones included; quarry blasts, explosions and other events are not counted. Epicentral distances on the WGS84 ellipsoid.

Municipality: 2025 municipal boundaries (Statbel), applied to every earthquake, including those before the merger of municipalities. For an epicentre outside Belgium, only the circular area is given. Each earthquake’s name is the catalogue’s: it may refer to a place near the epicentre.

Magnitude: the one given on each earthquake’s page (ML preferably, otherwise MW or MS); magnitudes of different types are compared as they are.

The epicentres of historical earthquakes are only known to within a few kilometres, sometimes more: whether they fall in the area is indicative. Small earthquakes have only been recorded as the station network grew: the area’s older earthquakes are mostly the largest ones, and recent activity looks more frequent.

When the area holds fewer than 5 other earthquakes, the nearest ones beyond 10 km are listed too, up to 100 km. Sequences (aftershocks, swarms) take a single row there, that of their largest earthquake: an earthquake joins a sequence if it occurs at most 7 days after the previous one and within 5 km of the first.

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