An ‘earthquake’ measuring 3.0 on the richter scale was picked up off the coast of the Isle of Wight by seismographs across the world today (Sunday) – but all is not as it seems.
The controlled detonation of a 2000lbs sea mine off The Needles this morning was so powerful that the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program picked up the explosion, classifying it as a minor earthquake.
As previously reported by Island Echo, the Royal Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team from Portsmouth arrived in the Solent yesterday after a fishing trawler managed to grab an unforgettable catch – a German wartime sea mine measuring 7ft in length.
Failed detonations of the device pushed the big bang back until 10:50 this morning. The controlled explosion by the bomb disposal experts was a success and created an almighty blast – as captured on camera by the Navy’s Southern Diving Unit 2.
