Weak earth tremor recorded in northwestern Estonia
A magnitude 1.4 earth tremor was recorded near the villages of Änglema and Alliklepa in northwestern Estonia on Sunday, September 20 — the second such event in the region this year.
Estonia's Geological Survey reported that a magnitude 1.4 earth tremor struck near the villages of Änglema and Alliklepa in Harju County, about 70 kilometers from Tallinn, at 7:42 p.m. on Sunday, September 20. The tremor's epicenter was located roughly eight kilometers below the surface. The event was first reported by the outlet Maaleht.
This marks the second tremor recorded in the region this year — in early August, a smaller magnitude 0.5 quake was detected near the island of Naissaar in Tallinn Bay. On average, Estonia typically records only about one earthquake every two years.
Estonia's most active seismic zone
Northwestern Estonia and its surrounding sea area are broadly regarded as the country's most seismically active region. In June 2022, two tremors measuring 2.3 and 1.4 in magnitude were recorded roughly five kilometers from the epicenter of the latest event.
Estonia's strongest documented earthquake occurred in 1976 near the island of Osmussaar off the northwest coast, reaching a magnitude of 4.5 on the Richter scale.
Although Estonia lies far from any major global fault lines, tremors occur there because the crystalline bedrock is crossed by numerous ancient fault zones. When underground stress builds up beyond what the surrounding rock can withstand, these weak zones can shift slightly, triggering a quake.
Overall, earthquakes in Estonia tend to be modest compared to those in more tectonically active parts of the world. According to Maaleht, the magnitude 1.4 tremor near Änglema is fairly typical for Estonian standards.
