The Seismology Department of the Royal Observatory of Belgium (ROB) recorded 141 natural earthquakes in and around Belgium last year.
This marks an increase of 21 events compared to 2023. None of these earthquakes exceeded a magnitude of 1.8 on the Richter scale, meaning they were not felt by the population.
In 2024, 42 natural earthquakes occurred in Belgium alone. However, this number more than tripled when including earthquakes recorded in the area monitored by the ROB, which spans between 1° and 8° longitude and 49° and 52° latitude.
This monitored zone includes parts of northern France, western Germany, southern Netherlands, and the entire regions of Luxembourg and Belgium. The ROB records all natural earthquakes in this area with a local magnitude greater than 1.0.
Additionally, in 2024, the ROB measured 304 quarry explosions and ten offshore explosions linked to the controlled destruction of First and Second World War bombs by Belgian, Dutch or French armies.
Scientists also observed four seismic events related to music festivals during the same period.
