A magnitude 2.2 earthquake was recorded near Groningen in the north of the Netherlands just after midnight on Thursday morning, according to the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI).
The quake occurred at a depth of three kilometres in Usquert, 20 kilometres north of the city of Groningen. KNMI identified the quake as induced, meaning it was caused by human activity rather than natural forces.
Groningen frequently experiences small earthquakes due to gas extraction in the region. The largest earthquake in the region, which occurred in 2006, reached a magnitude of 3.8. The quakes caused very minor damage but angered locals who attributed the frequent earthquakes to the government's aggressive expansion of gas fields in the area.
Last year, the Dutch government permanently halted gas extraction activities in the northern province of the Netherlands, but earthquakes have not ceased altogether.
