  | |
| UTC time | 1906-06-27 09:45 |
|---|---|
| ISC event | n/a |
| USGS-ANSS | n/a |
| Local date | 27 June 1906 (1906-06-27) |
| Local time | 09:45 |
| Magnitude | 5.2ML[1] |
| Epicentre | 51°37′N3°49′W / 51.62°N 3.81°W /51.62; -3.81[1] |
| Type | Unknown |
| Areas affected | England Wales |
| Max. intensity | MSK-64 VII (Very strong)[2] |
| Casualties | Three injured[3] |
The1906 Swansea earthquake hit near the town ofSwansea,Glamorgan,Wales on 27 June. It was one of the most damaging to hitBritain during the twentieth century, with a small area reaching an intensity of VII on theMedvedev–Sponheuer–Karnik scale.
At 9.45am on 27 June 1906, a powerful earth tremor was felt across much ofSouth Wales, its epicentre being placed just offshore ofPort Talbot. The quake, which struck just a few weeks after the devastating1906 San Francisco earthquake, was felt as far afield asIlfracombe,Birmingham and southwestIreland.[3]
Swansea is located near the southwestern ends of two major fault structures; theNeath Disturbance and theSwansea Valley Disturbance, movement on either of which or on any of several adjoining faults may have caused the quake.
The magnitude of the earthquake was measured at 5.2 on theRichter scale.
The earthquake was felt by many people, though recorded injuries were minimal: a young man, Thomas Westbury, and a three-year-old boy, Thomas Lewis, were hit by falling bricks and a girl was injured by the toppling of tin plates atCwmavon. Reports told of bricks falling from chimneys across the city[4] and theMumbles lighthouse "rocked on its foundations."[5]