An increasing number of earthquakes have been recorded in the UK, official figures show.
The highest level of detections in the last decade is set to be registered for 2014, with 100 earthquakes already recorded in the first three months of the year and 149 in total up until July.
This compares to 154 throughout 2013, 64 in 2006 and 111 reported in 2005, 2007 and 2011.
One small tremor, which centred on Jersey and Guernsey in the Channel Islands earlier this month. The quake had a magnitude measuring 4.2, making it the largest in the region for almost 90 years and the tremors were felt all along the south coast of England. The tremor was reported to have registered on British Geological Survey monitoring station equipment in Exeter, Devon.
Environmental activists fear the Government's desire to exploit shale gas reserves in rocks beneath the UK will cause small earthquakes. But ministers believe the technique used to tap into the potential supplies - known as fracking - will bring down energy bills and create thousands of jobs.
The UK earthquake data covering June 2004 to July 2014 was released to Parliament in response to a written question from Labour's Tom Greatrex.
Comment: Fracking - you are not important