PLANETARY TREMORS: "It Was SIGNIFICANT" - Earthquake "Shook Houses" In Southeast England!

The earthquake at was centred near the Oxfordshire-Buckinghamshire border

March 7, 2016 - ENGLAND - An earthquake with a magnitude of 2.3 has been recorded in Oxfordshire, the British Geological Survey (BGS) has confirmed.

Residents in Chinnor and Thame as well as Princes Risborough, Aylesbury and Bledlow in Buckinghamshire reported feeling shaking late on Sunday.

The BGS said the earthquake, centred on the village of Emmington, happened at 23:11 GMT.

Seismologist Glen Ford said: "The fact it was noticed makes it a bit special." A caller to BBC Radio Oxford, who lives in Chinnor, said: "The whole place shook - it was more than a wind and rattled the windows."

People also took to social media to post comments after experiencing the late-night movement.

Anna Edwards tweeted: "Earthquake or explosion? Something moved in S Oxon. Felt in Chinnor & Thame."

The earthquake was picked up by the British Geological Survey's sensors.© British Geological Survey

Chris White tweeted: "Bucks earth quake? We felt it, house shook, low noise!"

Emily Smith also posted: "Magnitude 2.3 earthquake in Bucks last night, that explains the house shaking then."

The BGS said the quake was one of about a dozen felt in the UK each year.

Mr Ford said: "Old geological faults still get activated by the stresses which are put on them from the major fault lines we have, and every now and again these pressures are released with a small earthquake."

He added: "It was a very small earthquake, but in UK terms it was significant as it was actually felt by the general public - 90% of earthquakes go completely unnoticed." - BBC.

MONUMENTAL EARTH CHANGES: Drought and Flood Fears in England - Experts Warn of Extreme Weather Shift?!

The drought conditions gripping swathes of England could increase the risk of flash flooding in the face of heavy rain, the Environment Agency warned today.  Two unusually dry years have left the whole of the South East, East Anglia and parts of Yorkshire in a state of drought, with parts of the South West and the Midlands also suffering from dry conditions.

Two unusually dry years have left large parts of England suffering from drought or dry conditions.

Seven water companies introduced hosepipe bans in a bid to conserve supplies in the face of low river, reservoir and groundwater levels - a move that was followed by widespread rain, which proved a welcome relief for gardeners.  But the Environment Agency is warning that future heavy rain could lead to flash flooding as a result of the drought conditions. Dry, compacted soils mean that rainfall is less easily absorbed into the ground, increasing the likelihood of flooding if the country is hit by storms.  The Environment Agency said a dry winter and spring in 2007 contributed in some areas to the devastating floods in the summer of that year, which hit the West Country, Midlands and Yorkshire.  Parts of the country had similar conditions as those currently seen in drought-afflicted areas, before the heavy rain hit in June and July 2007.  The Environment Agency made its warning about the increased risk of flash flooding as it launched the first social media flood warning application on Facebook.  "Floodalerts", which can be found by putting the term into Facebook's search facility, uses live flood warning data from the Environment Agency. 

The application, created and developed by software developer Shoothill, gives Facebook users messages on their wall when flood alerts or warning have been issued for their area.  The Environment Agency hopes the new measure will complement its existing Floodline Hotline and website updates to help warn people of the risk of flooding.  Craig Woolhouse, Environment Agency head of flood incident management, said: "As the drought in England continues, the thought of flooding may be far from people's minds, but we cannot ignore the risk.  "Dry and compacted ground means that there is a greater risk of flash flooding if there is heavy rainfall, and stormy seas and high tides can produce floods at any time.  "Being prepared is vital to help reduce the risk of flooding."  He urged communities to use the new Facebook tool, along with existing ways of finding out about flooding, to keep "one step ahead" of future floods.  Over the next few days the UK will see a mixture of sunshine and showers - some of them heavy - but lighter, more continuous rain which can soak into the ground, rather than simply running off, is needed to tackle dry conditions. - Mirror.