Category: Italy

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Special article: Earthquake swarm in central Italy

Currently its quiet in Iceland, this is a fill up article while everything is quiet in Iceland.

Yesterday (18.01.2017) a earthquake swarm started in central Italy. First fore-shock had the magnitude of 5,3 (EMSC Information) and happened at 09:25 UTC (10:25 CET). The second earthquake had the magnitude of 5,7 (EMSC Information) and was clearly felt in central Italy. It was followed by aftershocks of the size 4,7 (EMSC information), 4,6 (EMSC Information), the largest aftershock during that hour had the magnitude of 5,3 (EMSC information). Since this earthquake activity more than 100 earthquakes have happened, many magnitude 4,0 earthquakes have taken place. At least one magnitude 5,2 earthquake (EMSC Information) took place at 13:33:37 UTC (14:33 CET).


The strongest earthquake so far, the magnitude Mw5,7 earthquake as it appeared on my geophone in Denmark. This image is under Creative Commons Licence, please see the CC Licence page for more details.

This earthquake swarm might mean that there are stronger earthquakes about to happen in central Italy, but there is no way to be sure about it due to complex nature of this area. I don’t fully understand the geology of this area at the moment or Italy geology in any details at the moment. I’m expecting more earthquake activity in this area for the next few days at least, based on current aftershock activity in the area. Current aftershock activity is heavy at the moment, with many earthquakes happening every hour.

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Please remember to support my work with donations. At the moment I’m really broke. Thanks for the support. 🙂

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Special report: The Italy major earthquake swarm

This is a special report on the earthquake swarm in Italy. Due this being a different country I only have limited information about what is going on in Italy and I don’t have complete knowledge of the area in question. News sources with detailed images of the affected earthquake area can be found here (English) and here (Italian). Those news articles also contains images of the affected areas and aftershock areas (I can only use the image from USGS on the English website).

The earthquake swarm in Central Italy

On 26-October-2016 an earthquake swarm started in Italy, it started with a magnitude 5,5 earthquake (EMSC Information). It was followed by a magnitude 6,1 earthquake (EMSC Information). The magnitude 5,5 earthquake is a foreshock (Wikipedia information) to the magnitude 6,1 earthquake and that is the main event in that earthquake swarm. The magnitude 6,5 earthquake (EMSC Information) today (30-October-2016) is a new earthquake swarm in the same area. It has been followed by a heavy aftershock activity, with more than 300 earthquakes/h taking place in the main earthquake area. It is my view, based on the aftershock pattern that one or more magnitude 6,0 or stronger earthquakes are going to happen in this area in the next few days to months (it’s impossible to know when they happen). It does not help that this area of Italy is crossed with fault lines and they are all active (in the sense they can and do make earthquakes every few decades to hundreds of years).

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The magnitude 6,1 earthquake in Central Italy on 26-October-2016. This image is under Creative Commons Licence, please see CC Licence website for details.

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The magnitude 6,5 earthquake in Italy on all axes (Z, N-S, E-W). According to the measurement that I saw on my geophone in Denmark, the movement was N-S rather than E-W. There appears to have been some vertical displacement in this earthquake. This image is under Creative Commons Licence, please see CC Licence website for details.

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High resolution of the vertical component (Z) in my geophone. It clearly shows how the earthquake happened in central Italy. This image is under Creative Commons Licence, please see CC Licence website for details.

It is unclear how this is going to progress over the next few days, weeks and months. I don’t know enough about this area to make any type of guess. The area in question is a subduction zone (just not under a ocean) and that makes predicting this activity even more complicated and difficult.

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Basic tectonic layout of Italy with earthquake activity on top. Image is from USGS.

There is also a factor that I don’t know about. How often does this happens over the century in Italy. There is only a small clue (and it’s not even clear) of the earthquake list for Italy on Wikipedia (best that I was able to find). In Iceland (for comparison), the SISZ has an earthquake swarm activity (major) every 13 – 90 years (I wrote a list about known earthquakes here). I don’t know how often this happens in Italy, but I suspect that it is at least every few hundred years. How often this happens is mostly controlled by how fast the faults move each year and I don’t have that information.

If anything more happens in Italy I’m going to update this article.

Update on 01-November-2016 at 23:50 UTC

This morning (1-November-2016) a magnitude 4,9 earthquake (EMSC Information) took place in Central Italy. Aftershock activity continues to be heavy in Central Italy. While this earthquake doesn’t look big, it is enough to create more damage into the effected areas. Aftershock activity continues to be heavy in Central Italy.

Donations

Please remember to support my work with donations. I also want to point out that due to unusual bill situation I’m going to be rather broke in November at best, at worst I’m going to be completely broke (that might mean empty fridge). Thanks for the support. 🙂

Article updated at 23:19 UTC. Word fixes.
Article updated on 1-November-2016 at 23:52 UTC.

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Special report: Magnitude Mw6.1 earthquake hit northern Italy, many aftershocks recorded

At 04:03 CEST (02:03 UTC) an earthquake with the magnitude of Mw6.1 did happen in north Italy. This earthquake was in an area that has seen a lot of earthquake activity during past several months now. But earthquake activity did start in this area late last year (2011). This earthquake did create a lot of damage in north Italy according to news reports. At least seven people have died from this earthquakes and well over 50 people have been injured because of this earthquake. Many historical sites have been damaged or completely ruined in this earthquake. I do not know what type of fault that did break. But data suggest that it was a slip fault that did break. I am unsure on directions of the fault that did break.


The earthquake in Italy as I did record it in Aabenraa, Denmark. There was a lot of surface waves following this earthquake. But those waves can be seen after the S-wave of the earthquake. This image is released under Creative Commons Licence. See CC Licence page for more details. Owner of this image is Jón Frímann Jónsson. Software used is WinQuake.


Local map of the Mw6.1 earthquake in North Italy. Copyright of this image belongs to EMSC.


The magnitude Mb5.2 earthquake in Northern Italy. I did not record this earthquake as clearly as the strongest one. This image is released under Creative Commons Licence. See CC Licence page for more details. Owner of this image is Jón Frímann Jónsson. Software used is WinQuake.


Local map of the Mb5.2 aftershock in North Italy. Copyright of this image belongs to EMSC.

What is most interesting about this earthquake is that it was had a pre-earthquake with the magnitude of ML4.2 about an hour to two hours before the main earthquake did happen. Web page of EMSC is not working properly at the moment. So I can’t check the time of the pre-earthquake at the moment. There have been more then dozen aftershocks less then Mb4.0 in size. But there have also been several earthquakes with the magnitude of Mb4.5. This aftershock activity continues at the moment.

Update 1: According to EMSC the pre-earthquake took place at 23:13 UTC on 19.05.2012.


Local map of the ML4.0 earthquake that took place at 23:13 UTC on 19.05.2012 in North Italy. This appears to be clearly pre-earthquake to the larger one. Copyright of this image belongs to EMSC.

I am going to update this blog post as more information are published.

English news about this earthquake.

At least 7 dead after quake rocks northern Italy (CNN.com)
Deadly northern Italy earthquake hits heritage sites (BBC News)
In pictures: Italy earthquake (BBC News)

Blog post updated at 15:44 UTC (17:44 CEST) on 20.05.2012.

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An ML4.2 earthquake close to Sicily coast, Italy

At 20:34 UTC on 25.02.2012 there was an ML4.2 earthquake close to the coast of Sicily, Italy. The depth of this earthquake was registered at 10 km. But this is based on early and automatic data, and is subject to an change.


Intensity map of this earthquake as it was felt in Sicily. This map might change as more data comes in about this earthquake. Copyright of this picture belongs to EMSC.


The regional map of this earthquake. The red line in the map is the fault line that separates the tectonic plats in this area. Copyright of this picture belongs to EMSC.


Local view of this earthquake. It also shows the towns that are closest to this earthquake location. Copyright of this picture belongs to EMSC.

More information about this earthquake can be found on EMSC web site. Along with updated information about this earthquake and where it was felt.

Other

On Monday I am going to Denmark. So that might mean lack of updates while I am travelling. So if anything happens. It can be discussed in the comments. I have also decided to change the comments in such way that comments are not held for moderation unless they contain more then 4 links. But I am planning more changes on the comment system in the future in order to battle spam that is an big problem on this blog. Update 1: This is just an test, if the results are poor. I am going to change it back until I can do the changes to the comments that I am planning. The changes are nothing big and I am not going to install any 3rd party comment system up here.

Donations

While I am not yet broke at current time. I am soon to be. As I am moving to Denmark in April (as it looks now). I am also have to buy new glasses, as my current glasses are damaged due to old age (the glass is getting damaged due to old age, it as anti-refection skin on it that is getting damaged). Because of that I need to buy glasses, but without glasses I do not see an anything. I am in fact blind without glasses. But I also need to buy an round plane ticked in March when I finally get an apartment in Denmark to get my belongings in Iceland and finish moving to Denmark. I have saved up for all this cost in the past few months, everything except the glasses and the plane ticked. As moving in April was bit sudden for me, but I was expecting to get an apartment in May, rather then April. But with this all I am cutting it close money wise (I am hoping to be good money wise without donations). So I am asking for donations if people can spare them so that I do not hit the financial strain too hard. But I am hoping for the best if I do not get many donations. Thanks for the support!

P.S: I have not forgot about the Eyjafjallajökull eruption e-book that I am planning on writing. But with everything that has been going on with me in the year 2011 and the part of the year 2012. I have not yet been able to write it. But I do hope to have time to write it after I finish to move to Denmark. Along with few other stories that I have been working on in past few months. Those how have already requested the e-book copy get it when it is ready. I have not forgotten about this.

I am going to post more information on updates when I move in April. Just before I move.

Blog post updated at 00:09 UTC on 26.02.2012.

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Eruption in Etna volcano

Tonight around 21:00 UTC an eruption started in Etna volcano. From the views of the web cameras that watch Etna volcano. This eruption seems to be rather small. I do not expect it to get any bigger.


Web camera picture of the eruption in Etna volcano. Copyright of this picture belongs to Radio Studio 7, Italy.


Web camera picture of the eruption in Etna volcano. Copyright of this picture belongs to Radio Studio 7, Italy.

Eruptions in Etna volcano are frequent, so this event is no surprise that it is currently taking place. Live web camera feed can be found here.

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Etna volcano prepares for new eruption

According to web cam images and images on the internet of Etna volcano. It seems that Etna volcano is preparing for an new small eruption. When and how big this eruption is going to be is impossible to know for sure. But ash emission have already started in the crater that is most likley going to erupt.

I am going to update this blog post with more details if I can get them.

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An new Mw5.0 earthquake in north Italy

Today at 14:53 UTC there was an Mw5.0 earthquake in north Italy according to EMSC. This earthquake had the depth of 60 km according to EMSC. This earthquake was felt in the area. But I have not seen any reports of damage from this earthquake. According to GVP this area of Italy is not volcanic in nature. Next active volcano is considerable distance to the south of this earthquake. This earthquake follows an swarm of earthquakes in this area. It is hard know for sure if this an pattern of something larger, or if this is just an minor earthquakes swarm that is over or is just about to be over.


Location of the earthquake according to EMSC. Copyright of this picture belongs to EMSC.


Local view of the earthquake according to EMSC. This earthquake was below an mountain range that is forming in this area. Copyright of this picture belongs to EMSC.

So far the largest aftershock in this area following this earthquake was an ML3.2 in size. That earthquake took place at 15:32 UTC. This earthquake was also felt in the nearby towns. It is my view that more earthquakes should be expected in the next few hours to days. But it is impossible to know how large and how many earthquakes there are going to be in this area.

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Information about the Mw4.9 earthquake in north Italy

Today (25.01.2012) at 08:06 UTC (09:06 local time) an earthquake with the size of Mw4.9 did happen in north Italy according to EMSC. This earthquake was not far from the ML4.3 earthquake that did happen in nearby area yesterday (24.01.2012). According to reports this earthquake was clearly felt and some light damage has happened following this earthquake. I am not sure on aftershock activity in this area. But so far the largest aftershock has been with the size ML3.5, it was also felt in nearby towns.


The regional location of the Mw4.9 earthquake according to EMSC. Copyright of this picture belongs to EMSC.


Local view of the area where the Mw4.9 earthquake took place. Copyright of this picture belongs to EMSC.

More aftershocks are possible in this area. The trigger for this earthquake is most likely the earthquake that did happen yesterday and had the size of ML4.3. How that works is unclear. But the area in question was already at breaking point, so it needed little to break and make the earthquake happen. EMSC has put up an special web site with more information about this earthquake. That web site can be viewed here.

If any more large earthquakes happen. I am going to write about it soon as I can.

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A ML4.2 earthquake in north Italy

According to EMSC there has been a ML4.2 earthquake in north Italy at 23:54 UTC on 24.01.2012. This earthquake appears to be located close to populated areas. I do not yet know if there has been any damage due to this earthquake. But if houses in the area are poorly built, there might be some light damage. It is hard to know for sure if this is an pre-earthquake or just one earthquake. There have already been some minor aftershocks already. But so far none of them have been larger then ML2.1.


The regional area where the earthquake took place. Copyright of this picture belongs to EMSC.


Local area where the earthquake took place. Copyright of this picture belongs to EMSC.

I am going to update this blog post if anything more happens in Italy where this earthquake took place.