Earthquakes in Poland are a rare phenomenon. Most often they are caused by rock bursts in coal or copper mines. Natural ones appear in the Carpathian Mountains, Sudetes, or in the Trans-European Suture Zone. Sometimes events from other countries are felt in Poland.
Natural Earthquakes
Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage/notes |
---|---|---|---|
5 June 1443 | Sudetes? | 6 (est.) | According to the records in the Jan Długosz chronicle, the earthquake damaged buildings in Kraków and Wrocław killed 30 people. It was the strongest earthquake in the history of Poland. Other research localised the epicenter to Slovakia. |
9 July 1662 | Tatra Mountains | < 6 (est.) | |
26 January 1774 | near Racibórz | 5 (est.) | |
25 August 1785 | Wisła | 5 (est.) | |
3 December 1786 | Tresna | 5.4 (est.) | Damaged buildings in Kraków |
1875 | Hrubieszów | 3.7 | |
4 February – 8 March 1932 | Płock, Łuków, Kock, Lublin, Bogoria, Jędrzejowo, Małogoszcz | 4.0–4.5 | Unusual earthquake swarm on the line of the Trans-European Suture Zone; series of small, shallow quakes, causing cracks in buildings and frozen ground. Cracks in the ground were 2 kilometers long and 1-2 centimeters wide. |
20 November 2004 | Czarny Dunajec | 4.7 | Damage to buildings including schools and a church |
6 January 2012 | Żerków | 3.8 | Small cracks in buildings; unusual quake in aseismic area |
10 December 2017 | Wodzisław Śląski, Prudnik, Bielsko-Biała | 3.4 | |
6 July 2020 | Polkowice | 4.9 | No structural damage; one of the strongest, instrumental-registered quakes in Poland |
Mining-induced earthquakes
Between 2015 and 2019, in Polish mines, 23 strong earthquakes occurred, killing 24 miners and damaging buildings on the surface.
Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage/notes |
---|---|---|---|
29 November 1980 | Bełchatów Coal Mine | 4.7 | Cracks in the ground; damaged chimney |
20 July 1987 | Lubin, Copper Mine | 4.8-4.9 | Four miners killed, |
13 January 2005 | KWK Rydułtowy-Anna, Rydułtowy | 3.5 | |
10 March 2013 | KGHM O/ZG Rudna, Polkowice | 4.6 | 19 miners rescued from collapsed part of mine |
29 November 2016 | KGHM O/ZG Rudna, Polkowice | 4.4 | 8 miners killed |
23 April 2022 | KGHM O/ZG Zofiówka | 2.7 | 10 miners killed, 20 others injured |
22 August 2023 | Bobrek Coal Mine | 3.8 | damaged chimney and car in Bytom, |
5 October 2023 | Staszic Coal Mine, Katowice | 3.2 | |
20 September 2024 | Polkowice | 3.6 | No significant damage or casualties have been reported, as the tremor was moderate in intensity |
References
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- GIBOWICZ, SLAWOMIR J.; GLAZEK, JERZY; WYSOKIŃSKI, LECH (2017). "ZJAWISKA SEJSMICZNE W REJONIE KOPALNI WĘGLA BRUNATNEGO BEŁCHATÓW". Biuletyn Państwowego Instytutu Geologicznego. 469: 246–250.
- "Séisme modéré mag. 4.9 - Powiat de Polkowice, 9.5 km au nord-ouest de Lubin, Pologne, samedi, le 20 juin 1987 00:37".
- K Geofizyczne badania stanu gorotworu w swietle nowych uregulowan prawnych Mirek A Oset
- "Tąpnięcie w kopalni Rydułtowy". Rybnik.
- "Wstrząs w kopalni Rudna: To było jak trzęsienie ziemi (RELACJE GÓRNIKÓW, AKCJA MINUTA PO MINUCIE)". Gazeta Wrocławska. March 20, 2013.
- "Silny wstrząs w kopalni KGHM Rudna. Ośmiu górników nie żyje [ZDJĘCIA, WIDEO]". Wroclaw Wyborcza.
- "Ten people dead in Poland's second mining disaster in a week". Euronews. Retrieved 2022-04-28.
- "Ten trapped in Poland's second mine accident this week". RTÉ. 23 April 2022. Retrieved 2022-04-29.
- https://tech.wp.pl/trzesienie-ziemi-na-slasku-wyjasnimy-czy-bylo-grozne,6933317597559712a
- https://www.24kato.pl/potezne-nocne-tapniecie-w-katowicach-i-okolicy-to-z-kopalni-murcki-staszic-w-katowicach
- https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us6000nifx/executive