A strong earthquake has occurred in Västerbotten south of Skellefteå by Bureå.
The earthquake occurred at 10.51 on Saturday morning and was at a magnitude of 2.9, according to Björn Lund, seismologist at Uppsala University.
– It has been felt all around, from what I understand. It has been felt down in Umeå and up in Skellefteå. So this has shaken people in the area, says Lund.
By Swedish standards, it counts as a relatively large earthquake, according to Lund. Around one earthquake per year of this size occurs in the area.
But according to Lund, it is not big enough to cause any damage.
– It’s just that it shakes houses, it rattles windows and maybe in glass and china cabinets. If you are nearby then, it probably feels quite substantial. But there is no danger.
The area is part of a fracture zone that is still active.
– So the tensions and forces that exist in the Swedish earth’s crust means that you get a lot of small earthquakes along this fault. And every now and then a slightly bigger quake that is also felt, says Lund.
According to him, no more earthquakes of the same magnitude should be expected.
– However, there may be some aftershocks that are probably felt by those who live in the immediate area.