Experts have explained why an earthquake that shook South Wales shortly before midnight this morning (Saturday, February 25) felt much stronger than it actually was.
Initial estimates suggest the quake, thought to have had its epicentre near Merthyr Tydfil, measured a magnitude of between 3.8 and 4.2. This should have been felt as "light shaking" in areas close to the epicentre.
But some people say they were pulled from side to side or were moved across rooms in the chairs they were sitting in. Welsh resident @betharthur27 said on Twitter that their "house shook" and they felt like they were "being pulled from side to side".
And @marnswesh tweeted: "I heard a low rumble, then the wall shook and the chair jumped forward, which takes something with me sitting in it! Blimey. Not pleasant."
The VolcanoDiscovery.com website, which alerts the public about volcanoes and earthquakes happening anywhere in the world and provides an extensive database of these phenomena in all corners of the globe, says it was a "moderate magnitude 3.8 earthquake" at a "very shallow depth" of 2 km.
READ MORE: How Wales reacted to earthquake that 'shook whole houses' and 'went off like a bomb'
"Shallow earthquakes are felt more strongly than deeper ones as they are closer to the surface," says the website's report on the South Wales event. "Magnitude and other quake parameters can still change in the coming hours as the agency continues to process seismic data."
"Our monitoring service identified a second report from the citizen-seismograph network of RaspberryShake, which listed the quake at magnitude 3.8 as well.
"Based on the preliminary seismic data, the quake was probably felt by many people in the area of the epicentre. It should not have caused significant damage, other than objects falling from shelves, broken windows, etc.
"In Merthyr Tydfil (pop. 43,800) located 5 km from the epicentre, and Aberdare (pop. 31,100) 6 km away, the quake should have been felt as light shaking.
"Weak shaking might have been felt in Rhondda (pop. 59,500) located 12 km from the epicentre, Ebbw Vale (pop. 33,100) 16 km away, Tonypandy (pop. 62,500) 16 km away, and Pontypridd (pop. 30,400) 20 km away.
"Other towns or cities near the epicentre where the quake might have been felt as very weak shaking include Newport (pop. 306,800) located 37 km from the epicentre, Cardiff (pop. 447,300) 37 km away, and Swansea (pop. 300,400) 38 km away.
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