Houses Shook, Walls Trembled: Earthquake Near Bergen
An earthquake was recorded on Thursday evening, July 3rd, off the coast of Bergen. The tremor had a magnitude of 3.2. Residents of several towns heard a loud noise and felt the shaking.
The epicenter was located near Bergen.
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The event occurred at 6:12 p.m. The Norwegian National Seismic Network (Norsk Nasjonalt Seismisk Nettverk) reported that the epicenter was located 10 kilometers west of Turøy in the Øygarden municipality. The information was provided to NRK by Mathilde Sørensen from the University of Bergen (UiB). Experts are continuing to monitor the situation.
The tremor was minor, but residents clearly felt it
Sørensen reported that the location of the tremor was determined quickly. There is no risk of larger aftershocks. UiB monitored the situation throughout the evening, as signals from the region were still being analyzed. The tremor was felt in many places.
NRK received reports from people in Sandviken, Ytre Arna, Herdla, Holsnøy, and Rong in Øygarden. People described the noise and shaking. Sørensen emphasized that a magnitude of 3.2 is considered a small earthquake globally, but given Norway’s geological conditions, it can be noticeable. Such tremors occur in the country on average a few times a year.
NRK received reports from people in Sandviken, Ytre Arna, Herdla, Holsnøy, and Rong in Øygarden. People described the noise and shaking. Sørensen emphasized that a magnitude of 3.2 is considered a small earthquake globally, but given Norway’s geological conditions, it can be noticeable. Such tremors occur in the country on average a few times a year.
Houses Shook. No Reports to Emergency Services
Lars Olav Lokøy was sitting at home in Rong, Øygarden, watching TV with his son when he felt the tremor. As he told NRK, first there was a rumbling sound that lasted at least 10 seconds. Afterwards, both sat and looked at each other, trying to understand what had happened.
Lokøy said the tremor was more than just an ordinary noise. It sounded almost like a landslide. Julian Mortensen, who lives near Haukeland Hospital in Bergen, compared the sound to thunder that lasted about six or seven seconds. Ragna Aadlandsvik from Holsnøy described the shaking of the ground and walls and said she immediately recognized it as an earthquake.
The fire department did not receive any reports of the tremor’s effects. Duty officer Shahrooz Lahooti from 110 Vest told NRK that there was no information about any consequences of the event. Øygarden mayor Tom Georg Indrevik said it may have been a frightening experience for some people. However, he added that so far there have been no reports of damage to people or buildings.
Lokøy said the tremor was more than just an ordinary noise. It sounded almost like a landslide. Julian Mortensen, who lives near Haukeland Hospital in Bergen, compared the sound to thunder that lasted about six or seven seconds. Ragna Aadlandsvik from Holsnøy described the shaking of the ground and walls and said she immediately recognized it as an earthquake.
The fire department did not receive any reports of the tremor’s effects. Duty officer Shahrooz Lahooti from 110 Vest told NRK that there was no information about any consequences of the event. Øygarden mayor Tom Georg Indrevik said it may have been a frightening experience for some people. However, he added that so far there have been no reports of damage to people or buildings.
The tremor measurements came from three stations of the Norwegian National Seismic Network. The recorders were located in Ask on the island of Askøy, in Bergen, and in Florø. Data from these points were used to confirm the location and strength of the event.
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