Minor quake rattles Gwent, magnitude 1.3 recorded
A 1.3‑magnitude tremor struck near Bettws, Newport on 3 October, recorded at a depth of six kilometres by the British Geological Survey.
A minor earthquake has been recorded in south Wales, measuring 1.3 on the local magnitude scale, with the tremor detected near Bettws in Newport at 14:51 UTC on Saturday 3 October.
The British Geological Survey confirmed the event, stating that the quake originated at a depth of roughly six kilometres beneath the surface.
At this magnitude the movement is classified as a micro‑earthquake and is generally not felt by the public.
Local residents in surrounding villages reported no perceptible shaking, a response that aligns with the survey’s technical assessment.
The BGS operates a nationwide network of seismometers that continuously records ground motion, enabling it to detect even the faintest seismic activity across the United Kingdom.
Its latest bulletin placed the epicentre within the Gwent region, an area not typically associated with frequent tremors.
National statistics show the UK experiences around 150 small quakes each year, the vast majority registering below magnitude 2.0.
Geologists explain that the United Kingdom sits on the stable interior of the Eurasian plate, limiting the size and frequency of seismic events compared with more active plate boundaries.
The 1.3 reading corresponds to the local magnitude (ML) scale, which is calibrated for shallow, low‑energy earthquakes such as this.
Being six kilometres deep, the quake originated in the upper crust, the usual depth range for the country’s modest seismic occurrences.
Although no damage was reported, the BGS notes that contemporary building standards are designed to withstand the low‑level shaking associated with events of this size.
The agency will log the tremor in its public database, adding another data point to the ongoing record of the nation’s seismic profile.