Do earthquakes or volcanoes occur in the UK?

The UK is located on and near various fault lines which means earthquakes are frequently felt across the British Isles. The British Geological Survey Team has recorded 23 earthquakes to hit the UK in October 2016 alone. Fortunately, as the Isles are not located near any tectonic plate boundaries, the earthquakes experienced in the UK are usually very mild.

The most powerful recorded earthquake to affect the UK was in 1931 when a quake of magnitude of 6.1 on the Richter scale occurred 60 miles from the British Coast. The most devastating recorded earthquake was the 1984 quake in Essex which had a magnitude of 4.6 and damaged thousands of buildings.