Modena Plane hit by second major Earthquake.

The Modena Plane of northern Italy was hit by an Earthqake measuring 5.8 on the Richter Scale at 9.00 am local time (7.00 am GMT) on Tuesday 29 May 2012, according to the United States Geological Survey. The quake was recorded as occurring 20 km northeast of the city of Modena at a depth of 9.6 km. There are eight recorded deaths so far, with more people reportedly trapped beneath rubble, making it highly likely that the death toll will rise, possibly considerably.

Map showing the location of the quake and the areas hit by the worst shaking; within successive contour lines. USGS.

The same area was hit by a magnitude 6.0 quake on 20 May, which is now known to have killed seven people, as well as causing a number of factories to collapse and damaging several historic buildings, most notably the Castle of Finale Emilio and the Palace of Venice in Finale Emilia, both of which are reported to have suffered further damage. 

The aftermath of the 20 May quake in Finale Emilio. Luca Bruno/AP.

The Modena Plane lies close to the boundary between two tectonic plates; to the west is the Eurasian Plate, which underlies the western part of Italy, but to the east is the Apulian (or Adriatic) Plate, a microplate that has broken away from Africa, and is now jammed into the Eurasian Plate, underlying eastern Italy and the western part of the Balkan Peninsula. This is being squeezed by the northward movement of Africa, making Italy and the Balkans highly prone to Earthquakes. 

Outline map showing the approximate positions of the Eurasian (EU), Adriatic (AD) and African (AF) Plates. Di Bucci & Mazzuli (2003).

See also Earthquake in western Bulgaria, Earthquake on the Modena Plane, northern Italy, Earthquakes shake northern Italy, Torino (Turin) rocked by mild earthquake and Earthquakes on Sciency Thoughts YouTube.

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Earthquake in western Bulgaria.

On Tuesday 22 May 2012, sightly after 3.00 am local time (slightly after midnight GMT), western Bulgaria was shaken by an Earthquake centered on the village of Meshtitsa, 24 km west of the capitol, Sofia. The quake was recorded as measuring 5.6 on the Richter Scale at a depth of 9.4 km by the United States Geological Survey, and 5.8 on the Richter Scale at a depth of 10 km by the Bulgarian National Seismological Data Center. The quake was felt across western Bulgaria, including in Sophia, as well as in the neighboring states of Serbia, Macedonia, Romania and Greece. There are no reported casualties, but there was localized damage to houses, a widespread panic during the quake has been reported in the press. The area has been hit by a number of aftershocks, though none as large as the original quake.

Map showing the location of the 22 May 2012 quake. USGS.

The geology of the Balkan Peninsula is complex. Bulgaria lies on the Eurasian Plate, but it is surrounded by a number of microplates created by the collision of Africa with Europe from the south. Southern Greece lies on the Aegean Sea Plate, a breakaway part of the Eurasian Plate, which is being pushed to the southwest by the westward movement of the Anatolian Plate, another breakaway part of the Eurasian Plate underlying Turkey. This is in turn being pushed west by the northeasterly motion of the Arabian Plate, a breakaway part of the African Plate. The western part of the Balkan Peninsula, and the eastern part of Italy are underlain by the Adriatic (or Apulian) Plate, a breakaway part of the African Plate which has pushed like a wedge into southern Europe.

Map showing the movement of the microplates of the eastern Mediterranean. Kotzev et al. (1998).

Thus the rocks of Bulgaria are being pulled to the southwest by the movement of the Aegean Sea Plate and pushed to the northeast by the movement of the Apulian Plate. This has resulted in a number of faults bisecting the country, forming the Pernic Fault Zone, the Vitosha Fault Zone, the Zheleznitsa Fault Zone and the Sophia Graben (a Graben is an area of geological extension). The 22 May Earthquake is thought to have been caused by movement along the Pernic Fault.

Map showing the extensive faulting across Bulgaria. Bulgarian Academy of Science

Geological Institute.

See also Earthquake on the Modena Plane, northern Italy, Earthquake in northern Algeria, Southwest Poland hit by Earthquake, Zurich shaken by mild Earthquake and Earthquakes on Sciency Thoughts YouTube.

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Earthquake on the Modena Plane, northern Italy.

On Sunday 20 May 2012, slightly after 4.00 am local time (slightly after 2.00 am, GMT), the Modena Plane of northern Italy was shaken by an Earthquake centered about 30 km northeast of the city of Modena, recorded by the United States Geological Survey as measuring 6.0 on the Richter Scale and occurring at a depth of 5.1 km. This was followed about an hour later by a second quake in roughly the same place, at a depth of 10 km, measuring 5.1 on the Richter Scale.

Map showing the location of the quake and the areas that suffered the worst shaking. USGS.

The quake is reported to have caused at least six deaths (at the time of writing); four workers on nightshifts in factories and two heart attacks. The quake is reported to have caused considerable damage to factories, warehouses and homes, as well as a number of historic buildings, including Castle of Finale Emilio and the Palace of Venice in Finale Emilia.

 

 

 

 

Scenes from Emelia, 20 May 2012. La Republica.

Italy is partially located on a southern extension of the Eurasian Plate, and partially on the Apulian (or Adriatic)Plate, a breakaway part of the African Plate now sticking into southern Europe, comprising eastern Italy and part of the Balkans. This is being squeezed by the northward movement of Africa from the south, leading to uplift in the Alps and the mountains of central Italy, as well as Earthquakes across the country, and vulcanism in the south.

Map showing the relationship between the Eurasian Plate (grey), African Plate (brown) and Anatolian Plate (pink). The quake location shown is for the 6.3 magnitude earthquake at L’Aquila in 2009. Ann Pizzorusso/Napoli Unplugged. 

See also Earthquakes shake northern Italy, Torino (Turin) rocked by mild earthquake, Recent eruptions on Mount Etna and Earthquakes on Sciency Thoughts YouTube.

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Torino (Turin) rocked by mild earthquake; 25 July 2011.

Just after 2.30 pm local time the northern Italian town of Turin was rocked by a small earthquake. No casualties are reported, but some there was some damage to houses and other buildings, phone lines were briefly cut and train services around the city were suspended while engineers ascertained that the tracks were safe.

Map showing the location of the quake, from the United States Geological Survey.

The epicenter of the quake (point on the ground directly above the centre of the quake) appears to have been about 22 km northwest of the city, with the quake occurring at a depth of between 5 and 25 km. The quake lasted about 20 seconds, and had a magnitude of between 4.3 and 4.8 on the Richter Scale; not really severe, but quite alarming. The quake was felt across a wide area of Piedmont (the north-easternmost province of Italy, of which Turin is the capital) and south-western France.

Italy is among the most earthquake-prone countries in Europe, though the Piedmont area is not particularly noted in this respect. The country has a complex geology. Part of the country is located on the European Plate, and part on the Apulian (or Adriatic) Plate; a micro-plate that broke away from northern Africa during the Cretaceous, and is now sandwiched between the African and European Plates, being pushed further into Europe by the northward movement of Africa. The borders of the Apulian Plate form the Apennine Mountains of central Italy, the Southern Alps and the Dinaric Alps (on the Balkan Peninsula).

The Apulian Plate, sandwiched between Africa and Europe.

This has given Italy a history of Earthquakes that dates back to classical times, with some major quakes taking place in the north. Until the late twentieth century these often lead to major loss of life and widespread destruction, as few buildings were earthquake-proofed and there was little infra-structure to deal with the aftermath of natural disasters.

In 1976 a magnitude 6.4 earthquake hit the Friuli region on the Slovenian border, killing 989 people, injuring 2400 and making 157 000 homeless. This lead to the creation of the Dipartimento della Protezione Civile, the Italian agency responsible for predicting, preventing, mediating and clearing up after major disasters. (This was also the only major earthquake that I have ever been involved in, at the age of seven).

Italian language documentary about the 1976 Friuli Earthquake.

See also Recent eruptions on Mount Etna, Earthquake on the Krygyzstan/Uzbekistan Border and Earthquakes on Sciency Thoughts YouTube.