An earthquake was recorded this morning in the municipality of Jalhay, in the east of Liège Province (Wallonia). According to Belgium’s Royal Observatory, the quake had a magnitude of 3.1. Over 100 people have reported feeling the tremors. “But not everyone will have been woken up by it,” says earthquake geologist Kris Vanneste.
It was at around 5.30 am that the earth shook briefly in Jalhay, outside Verviers. According to the Royal Observatory, the hypocentre was at a depth of 18 kilometres. Although Belgium records around 10 earthquakes a year, a tremor of this magnitude is more exceptional.
‘A magnitude of 3.1 isn’t too bad in itself, but it’s certainly not something that happens every year,’ explains the Royal Observatory’s Kris Vanneste. The last time Belgium felt an earthquake of that magnitude was in Kinrooi, Limburg Province, in 2018.
So far, 114 people have reported the earthquake to the Royal Observatory. Whether you actually feel such a tremor depends not only on its magnitude, but also on its depth. “A depth of 18 kilometres is already quite deep. That is why not everyone will have felt the earthquake or have been woken up by it.”
Active faults in the east of the country
It is no coincidence that the earth is on the move just east of the city of Liège. The region is known for its seismic activity, although this usually involves lighter tremors with a magnitude of 2 or less.
"In the border region between Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, there is a well-researched structure with active faults where earthquakes occur regularly," says Vanneste. "This earthquake took place just west of that structure, but there is likely to be a connection."