CANTONS DE L'EST
Earthquake17 February 1972
- Magnitude
- 3.1ML
- Depth
- –
- Max. int.
- 4
- Belgian time
- 05:03:291972-02-17
- UTC
- 04:03:291972-02-17
Main parameters
| Date and time | 1972-02-17 04:03:29 UTC 1972-02-17 05:03:29 Belgian time |
|---|---|
| Magnitude | ML 3.1 |
| Epicentral coordinates | 50.600° N, 6.100° E |
| Maximum intensity | 4 |
| Event ID | ROB 618 |
Data source : ROB (Royal Observatory of Belgium)
Last update : 2011-06-27 18:19:24 Belgian time
Location map
- Epicentre
- Station that recorded the event
Macroseismic intensities
Intensities assessed for each municipality by the seismologists of the Royal Observatory, from the official questionnaires sent to the municipalities, letters received, the press and published studies. They make up the Belgian Traditional Macroseismic database (BTM).
- Intensity data points
- 86
- Maximum intensity
- IV
- Farthest municipality
- 45km · REULAND
- Source quality
- A
- I
- II
- III
- IV
- V
- VI
- VII+
- Epicentre
Points by intensity
| Intensity | Points | |
|---|---|---|
| I | 59 | |
| II | 10 | |
| III | 11 | |
| IV | 6 | |
| Total | 86 |
Municipalities assessed with a range (Imin < Imax): 1. Switching between Imin and Imax shows the spread of the assessment.
List of the points (86)
Sources of the intensities
| Source | Points |
|---|---|
| Official ROB questionnaire, version 4 | 85 |
| Letters received by the ROB | 1 |
Belgian Traditional Macroseismic database: Neefs B, Van Noten K, Vanneste K, Camelbeeck T (2025). The Belgian traditional macroseismic (BTM) database of the twentieth century. Journal of Seismology 29, 1005–1036. doi:10.1007/s10950-024-10266-9
Data set: Neefs B, Van Noten K, Vanneste K, Camelbeeck T (2024). The Belgian Traditional Macroseismic (BTM) Database of the 20th Century [data set]. Royal Observatory of Belgium. doi:10.24414/2b5w-j029
Notes and method
For each municipality, an assessment on the European Macroseismic Scale EMS-98: minimum and maximum intensity (Imin, Imax), equal or forming a range (III–IV) that reflects the spread of the testimonies in the municipality, “F” when the earthquake was felt but no degree could be given.
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
110 other earthquakes in the catalogue since 1911. 108 of them occurred after this one. This is the largest known earthquake in the area.
Latest earthquakes before this one
| Date | Place | Magnitude | Intensity | Distance km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1911-05-30 | EIFEL-RAEREN(D) | – | 3 | 8.5 |
| 1911-05-30 | EIFEL-ROETGEN(D) | – | 3 | 8.0 |
Largest known earthquakes
| Date | Place | Magnitude | Intensity | Distance km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972-02-17 | This earthquake | ML 3.1 | 4 | – |
| 1978-06-10 | EUPEN | ML 2.8 | – | 4.4 |
| 1997-11-30 | Suspected earthquake | ML 2.8 | – | 6.6 |
| 1998-04-06 | ROETGEN (DE) | ML 2.3 | – | 8.3 |
| 2005-05-20 | ROETGEN (DE) | ML 2.3 | – | 9.3 |
Municipality of Eupen
30 other earthquakes in the catalogue since 1988. 30 of them occurred after this one. This is the largest known earthquake in the municipality.
Latest earthquakes before this one
No earthquake known before this one.
Largest known earthquakes
| Date | Place | Magnitude | Intensity | Distance km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972-02-17 | This earthquake | ML 3.1 | 4 | – |
| 2021-08-28 | BAELEN (BE) | ML 1.7 | – | 6.2 |
| 2007-07-06 | KONZEN (DE) | ML 1.6 | – | 10.1 |
| 1991-12-03 | ROETGEN(D) | ML 1.5 | – | 7.5 |
| 2021-08-28 | EUPEN (BE) | ML 1.4 | – | 6.4 |
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.
Arrival times at the stations
Each station first records the P wave, the fastest, then the S wave. The farther a station is from the epicentre, the later the waves reach it and the wider the gap between the two.
- Stations
- 15
- Epicentral distance
- 32.8 – 605.0km
- P wave
- S wave
Station measurements
P- and S-wave arrivals and ground displacement measured at each station. Click a column heading to change the order.
| km | ° | UTC | UTC | s | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belgian seismic network (Royal Observatory of Belgium)2 stations | |||||
| DOUDourbes | 121.0 | 243 | 04:03:50.70+21.70 s | – | – |
| UCCH4Uccle | 124.9 | 281 | 04:04:03.00+34.00 s | – | – |
| Network LDG5 stations | |||||
| HAUHAUDOMPRE | 289.1 | 176 | 04:04:18.80+49.80 s | – | – |
| LORLORMES | 405.2 | 205 | 04:04:27.00+58.00 s | – | – |
| LBFLES BUTEAUX | 431.2 | 202 | 04:04:29.80+60.80 s | – | – |
| SSFSaint-Saulge | 437.1 | 207 | 04:04:30.30+61.30 s | – | – |
| TCFToulx Ste Croix | 559.0 | 212 | 04:04:39.00+70.00 s | – | – |
| Dutch seismic network (KNMI)2 stations | |||||
| HEEprox. Heerlen | 32.8 | 345 | – | 04:03:41.00+12.00 s | – |
| RSBRAVENSBOS | 37.2 | 330 | 04:03:38.00+9.00 s | – | – |
| Network PRU2 stations | |||||
| KHCKasperske Hory | 561.6 | 104 | – | 04:06:11.00+162.00 s | – |
| PRUPruhonice | 605.0 | 93 | – | 04:06:28.00+179.00 s | – |
| Bensberg seismic network (University of Cologne, Germany)1 station | |||||
| BNSBensberg | 86.0 | 61 | 04:03:46.70+17.70 s | – | – |
| Network JEN1 station | |||||
| MOXMoxa | 390.3 | 87 | 04:04:26.00+57.00 s | – | – |
| Network KRW1 station | |||||
| BUHBUEHLERHOEHE | 263.5 | 143 | 04:04:09.80+40.80 s | – | – |
| Network STR1 station | |||||
| WLSWelschbruch | 259.6 | 159 | 04:04:12.40+43.40 s | – | – |