2009 L'Aquila earthquake: Difference between revisions
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== Cause == |
== Cause == |
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The earthquake is likely to have been caused by movement in the north-south [[faultline]] which runs along the [[Apennine Mountains|Apennine Mountain Range]], although there is a smaller east-west faultline across the centre of the country which is typically associated with minor earthquakes.<ref name="Background: Italy and earthquakes">{{cite web|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/apr/06/italy-earthquake-abruzzo|title=Background: Italy and earthquakes|date=2009-04-06|accessdate=2009-04-06|publisher=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref> The faultlines are related to the tectonic movement of the [[European Plate|European]] and [[African Plate]]s in a tectonically complex system which also includes [[Plate tectonics|micro plates]].<ref name="Background: Italy and earthquakes"/><ref name="USGS">[http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/eqinthenews/2009/us2009fcaf/#summary USGS page on the earthquake]</ref> The earthquake struck at |
The earthquake is likely to have been caused by movement in the north-south [[faultline]] which runs along the [[Apennine Mountains|Apennine Mountain Range]], although there is a smaller east-west faultline across the centre of the country which is typically associated with minor earthquakes.<ref name="Background: Italy and earthquakes">{{cite web|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/apr/06/italy-earthquake-abruzzo|title=Background: Italy and earthquakes|date=2009-04-06|accessdate=2009-04-06|publisher=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref> The faultlines are related to the tectonic movement of the [[European Plate|European]] and [[African Plate]]s in a tectonically complex system which also includes [[Plate tectonics|micro plates]].<ref name="Background: Italy and earthquakes"/><ref name="USGS">[http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/eqinthenews/2009/us2009fcaf/#summary USGS page on the earthquake]</ref> The earthquake struck at 01:32 [[Greenwich Mean Time|GMT]] (03:32 [[Central European Time|CET]] local time) at a depth of {{convert|10|km|mi}} and with an [[epicentre]] approximately {{convert|95|km|mi}} north-east of [[Rome]], near to the city of [[L'Aquila]].<ref name="Powerful Italian quake kills many"/> The earthquake was reported to measure 6.3 on the [[moment magnitude scale]].<ref name="Powerful Italian quake kills many"/> Italy frequently experiences earthquakes but it is uncommon for them to be very deadly; the last major earthquake was the 5.9 magnitude [[2002 Molise earthquake]] which killed more than 25 people and was the deadliest for 20 years.<ref name="Background: Italy and earthquakes"/> |
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== Effects == |
== Effects == |
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Revision as of 13:42, 6 April 2009
 | This article documents a current event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses, and initial news reports may be unreliable. The latest updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. (April 2009) |
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| UTC time | ?? |
|---|---|
| Magnitude | 6.3 Mw |
| Depth | 10 km (6.2 mi) |
| Epicenter | 42°25′22″N 13°23′40″E / 42.4228°N 13.3945°E[1] |
| Areas affected | Italy |
| Casualties | 92 dead |
The 2009 Italian earthquake was a 6.3-magnitude earthquake that occurred in the central Apennine Mountains, Italy on 6 April 2009.
Cause
The earthquake is likely to have been caused by movement in the north-south faultline which runs along the Apennine Mountain Range, although there is a smaller east-west faultline across the centre of the country which is typically associated with minor earthquakes.[2] The faultlines are related to the tectonic movement of the European and African Plates in a tectonically complex system which also includes micro plates.[2][3] The earthquake struck at 01:32 GMT (03:32 CET local time) at a depth of 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) and with an epicentre approximately 95 kilometres (59 mi) north-east of Rome, near to the city of L'Aquila.[4] The earthquake was reported to measure 6.3 on the moment magnitude scale.[4] Italy frequently experiences earthquakes but it is uncommon for them to be very deadly; the last major earthquake was the 5.9 magnitude 2002 Molise earthquake which killed more than 25 people and was the deadliest for 20 years.[2]
Effects
The earthquake caused damage to between 3,000 and 10,000 buildings in the medieval city of L'Aquila.[4] Several buildings, including a university dormitory and churches, collapsed and between 30,000 and 40,000 people have been made homeless, with 100,000 temporarily fleeing their homes.[4] At least 92 people have been killed by the earthquake, including five children, and around 1,500 people were injured.[4][5] As of 13:20, there are many people reported missing and trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings. The main earthquake was preceded by two smaller earthquakes the previous day.[4] The earthquake was felt as far away as Rome, in other parts of Lazio, as well as Molise, Umbria, and Campania. Schools remained closed in the Abruzzo region; most of the inhabitants of L'Aquila have abandoned their homes and the city itself; in the city centre of L'Aquila and the nearby town of Paganica which was also damaged, many streets are impassable due to fallen masonry. The hospital at L'Aquila, where many of the victims were brought, suffered damage in the 4.8 aftershock which followed the main earthquake an hour later. Aftershocks were felt throughout the morning of 6 April.
Prior Warning
Italian scientist Gioacchino Giuliani was said to have predicted the earthquake in advance, by measurement of Radon emitted from the ground. He was initially dismissed as a scaremonger, and forced to remove his findings from the internet. Enzo Boschi, the head of the Italian National Geophysics Institute said "Every time there is an earthquake there are people who claim to have predicted it," he said. "As far as I know nobody predicted this earthquake with precision. It is not possible to predict earthquakes."[6]
Other towns affected
See also
References
- ^ "earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/catalogs/eqs1day-M1.txt".
- ^ a b c "Background: Italy and earthquakes". The Guardian. 2009-04-06. Retrieved 2009-04-06.
- ^ USGS page on the earthquake
- ^ a b c d e f "Powerful Italian quake kills many". BBC. 2009-04-06. Retrieved 2009-04-06.
- ^ Quake claims 92 lives, The Straits Times, April 6, 2009
- ^ "Italian earthquake: expert's warnings were dismissed as scaremongering". Daily_Telegraph. 2009-04-06. Retrieved 2009-04-06.