Blast off: Sea mine explosion sparks ‘earthquake’ near Isle of Wight
7ft sea mine detonation shakes the charts
An ‘earthquake’ registering 3.0 on the Richter scale has been detected off the Isle of Wight today – but don’t panic. It wasn’t a natural tremor. Instead, a controlled explosion of a massive 7ft sea mine near The Needles created seismic waves picked up worldwide.
Bomb squad’s boom mistaken for quake
The bomb disposal team’s expertly handled blast was so powerful that the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program recorded it as a minor earthquake. Their controlled detonation caused a mighty boom, visible on camera from the Navy’s Southern Diving Unit 2.
Safe and sound after the big bang
The operation was successful and cleared a major hazard from local waters. Thanks to the brave experts, the coast remains safe – even if the earth had a little shake today.
