The 2007 Kent earthquake was an earthquake that registered 4.3 on the Richter scale and struck south east Kent, England on 28 April 2007 at 07:18:11 UTC (08:18:11 local time).

Location

The British Geological Survey stated that the epicentre of the earthquake was approximately 14 km south of Dover in the Strait of Dover at 50.97°N, 1.38°E. The US geological survey indicated that the location of the earthquake was at 51.024°N, 1.030°E suggesting a position approximately a mile off the Kent coast near Dymchurch. However, this has now been updated to 51.046°N, 1.079°E, in Folkestone.

The worst affected area was the town of Folkestone although the towns of Deal, Dover and Ashford were also affected. The tremors could be felt across much of Kent and south east England including as far as East Sussex, Essex and Suffolk as well as on the other side of the English Channel at Calais and Brussels.

Cause

There are a number of minor faults that run through the British Isles and it is possible that pressure exerted from the north and west led to a build up of energy which triggered the earthquake. Previous earthquakes have occurred in the past in the Dover Strait such as in 1382, 1580, 1776 and 1950.

Impact

The earthquake resulted in structural damage and one woman suffered a minor head and neck injury.Following the earthquake, a total 474 properties were reported as damaged with 73 properties too badly damaged for people to return to, 94 seriously damaged, and 307 suffering from minor structural damage. Harvey Grammar School situated in Cheriton Road, Folkestone was closed on 30 April due to "significant structural damage". The earthquake is expected to cost insurers perhaps as high as £10 million to repair.

Several thousand homes were left without power for several hours and there were reports of a "smell of gas" in Folkestone.The Port of Dover, the channel tunnel and travel links were unaffected although authorities asked people heading towards Dover to use the A2.^{[citation needed]} It is also possible that the earthquake caused a 300 metre (948ft) crack in a cliff at Barton-on-Sea creating fears of a landslide. However, this could also be purely coincedental.^[

Magnitude

The US geological survey estimated that the earthquake had a magnitude of 4.7 on the Richter scale^[3] whilst the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre estimated a magnitude of 4.9.

Response

EDF Energy had restored electricity supplies that had been cut by the earthquake by Saturday afternoon.^[8] The Salvation Army Church in Folkestone provided refuge for approximately 100 people on 28 April whose homes had been damaged by the earthquake.

Significance

It was the largest British earthquake since the 2002 Dudley earthquake^[1] and the strongest in the Dover Straits since a magnitude 4.4 earthquake in 1950.^[2] The strongest recorded British earthquake was the 1931 Dogger Bank earthquake which measured 6.0 on the Richter scale