The Carlisle earthquake of December 26, 1979, in northern England

Abstract

At 3:57 a.m on the morning after Christmas Day 1979, a large area of northern England and southern Scotland was shaken by an earthquake. In the mesoseismal area, a few miles north of Carlisle, chimneys toppled into the streets or fell through roofs, and people ran in panic into the open. Over a much wider area, including the densely populated industrial area of central Scotland, people were awakened, and ornaments and other small objects were disturbed. At distances over 120 miles from the epicenter, only a few people noted the tremor. Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man also expereienced the tremor but reportedly at no very great intensity. The distrubed area covered approximately 45,00 square miles.