Could the UK have an earthquake followed by a tsunami?
The majority of earthquakes in the UK are so small they cannot be felt, because the UK does not sit on a fault line between tectonic plates. Between 20 to 30 earthquakes are felt by people in the UK each year, according to British Geological Survey data, with hundreds of smaller ones recorded by sensitive instruments
If a tsunami was to hit, as a direct result of the earthquake, research has show the cities likely to be worst hit would be those along the south coast, including Brighton, Southampton, Portsmouth, Exeter and Bournemouth. Neighbouring towns are also in a vulnerable position should a tsunami occur. London would also suffer a lot of damage from the impact.
With that’s said, has anyone thought about or even prepped for an earthquake here at home?
I know it’s most unlikely however we never thought we would go though a pandemic, can this also happen?
Is the UK unprepared for a large earthquake?
I feel like this would be a bug in, well camp out in the garden scenario. It has made me think to cover all eventualities.
Earthquake UK
Re: Earthquake UK
South coast presumably from La Palma, a tsunami waiting to happen. Low probability, hight impact. North Scotland was hit by a 66 ft high tsunamu, result of an underwater landslide off the coast of Norway, 8,000 years ago. There were a couple of others in the last 5,000 years in Shetland. Apparently they can occur anywhere in the ocean, even on slopes that are almost horizontal, but they usually need an earthquake to trigger them. Tsunami waves get bigger in shallower water, so if the La Palma one gets intp the English Channel and Thames estuary it could be very high. A La Palma slide tsunami would take 6 hours to hit the UK. London would be gridlocked, and people would drown in their cars. Agricultural land would be ruined for years.
Apart from tsunami we're pretty safe unless you live above a fracking site or something. I did feel one in the night a few years ago. My bed shook for a few seconds.
I said in another thread, current CO2 level is same as 3 million years ago when sea level was 5-25m higher. 25 m brings the sea to my house in Manchester. The climate crisis is one thing that's pretty definite, but a bit off topic. Of course any sea level rise makes high tides, storms, erosion etc worse.
Apart from tsunami we're pretty safe unless you live above a fracking site or something. I did feel one in the night a few years ago. My bed shook for a few seconds.
I said in another thread, current CO2 level is same as 3 million years ago when sea level was 5-25m higher. 25 m brings the sea to my house in Manchester. The climate crisis is one thing that's pretty definite, but a bit off topic. Of course any sea level rise makes high tides, storms, erosion etc worse.
Re: Earthquake UK
It’s not really something I’ve thought about tbh at least not in Scotland.
I have however been through a ‘what to do if you experience an earthquake’ training when I lived in NZ. It wasn’t quite training but it got linked into a health and safety and fire drill training but you get the gist, it was basically ‘get under a table or to a door frame if indoors’ and ‘stay in the open if outdoors, don’t hide under trees’ type stuff.
I did actually experience a tsunami warning when an earthquake hit Samoa, the sirens were going off at Barrier Island and Waiheke and folk were being advised to head to higher ground, some daft folk when down to the beach to watch the wave come in which annoyed the police and proved Darwin’s Law but when the wave hit, it was about three feet high and only rocked a few boats in the harbour in Whangerei.
It was surreal though watching a civil defence warning go out while I was having my coco pops before work…
I have however been through a ‘what to do if you experience an earthquake’ training when I lived in NZ. It wasn’t quite training but it got linked into a health and safety and fire drill training but you get the gist, it was basically ‘get under a table or to a door frame if indoors’ and ‘stay in the open if outdoors, don’t hide under trees’ type stuff.
I did actually experience a tsunami warning when an earthquake hit Samoa, the sirens were going off at Barrier Island and Waiheke and folk were being advised to head to higher ground, some daft folk when down to the beach to watch the wave come in which annoyed the police and proved Darwin’s Law but when the wave hit, it was about three feet high and only rocked a few boats in the harbour in Whangerei.
It was surreal though watching a civil defence warning go out while I was having my coco pops before work…
Re: Earthquake UK
I haven't given much thought to earthquake protection here in SE England, about 10 miles inland. I'm very aware of the whole Canaries thing sliding into the sea and creating a ginormous tsunami, and I was slightly jittery when I was pootling about there on a cruise ship 
The only earthquake I've experienced was in Venice, the clerk at the tourist office was freaking out and not bothering to serve people, just chatting on his phone about the earthquake
If fracking happens in Sussex, I may end up being more familiar with earthquakes than I'd like.
The only earthquake I've experienced was in Venice, the clerk at the tourist office was freaking out and not bothering to serve people, just chatting on his phone about the earthquake
If fracking happens in Sussex, I may end up being more familiar with earthquakes than I'd like.
Re: Earthquake UK
I'm 1.9 miles from the sea and my garden is 18m above sea level (excuse the mixed units). If this unlikely tsunami charges up the English Channel, I'm history.
Re: Earthquake UK
I don't know if it would be 18m high, and presumably it deceases the further it gets inland. However I would evacuate to be on the safe side.