Mini Earthquake Shakes Nottinghamshire, Residents Report Unsettling Tremors

Last night, residents in Nottinghamshire and surrounding areas experienced a brief but unsettling shaking as a mini earthquake, registering at a magnitude of 2.2, struck near the village of Gotham shortly before midnight. The British Geological Survey (BGS) confirmed that the seismic event occurred at 11:55 PM on Tuesday, December 17, at a depth of 8 kilometers. While the tremor’s epicenter was located in Gotham, reports suggest that the shockwaves reverberated into neighboring Leicestershire, where several residents reported feeling the effects. Davie Galloway, a seismologist at the BGS, noted that although the earthquake was captured by their seismometer in Charnwood Forest, there were no immediate reports from Gotham residents feeling the tremor itself, highlighting the unpredictability of seismic events and their varying impact on local populations. Among those who did feel the quake was James Sibson, a 31-year-old resident of Whitwick, near Coalville. He recounted the experience vividly, stating that he was in the midst of checking the time when his "whole house" began to shake. "It lasted about two to three seconds," he recalled, adding, "I saw items on my bedside table moving as well." Sibson, who had previously encountered a stronger earthquake while in Taiwan earlier this year, expressed his intrigue in understanding the geological phenomena affecting his home. Residents of the region have become increasingly aware of the area's seismic activity, particularly due to a history of small earthquakes. While events of this magnitude are not uncommon, they typically remain below 2.5, making last night’s tremor a notable occurrence. Sibson’s curiosity led him to research a fault line that runs near the village of Thringstone, indicating a potential geological explanation for the tremors felt in the region. As communities process the disturbance, experts continue to monitor seismic activity in Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire. Though the recent quake did not cause any reported damage, it serves as a reminder of the Earth’s dynamic nature and the underlying geological processes that can occasionally disrupt the calm of everyday life.