Tuesday 8 April 2014

Magnitude 4.9 Earthquake in southern France.

The Centre Sismologique Euro-Méditerranéen recorded a Magnitude 4.9 Earthquake at a depth of 5 km  in the  Hautes-Alpes Department of southeastern France, slightly before 9.30 pm local time (slightly before 7.30 pm GMT) on Monday 7 April 2014. This is a large quake for the region, and was found as far away as Marseille and Geneva, though there are no reports of any damage or casualties. 

The approximate location of the 7 April 2014 Haut-Alpes Earthquake. Google Maps.

The Alps are not static structures, but are a growing range of mountains being forced upwards by the impact of Africa into Europe, which is forcing the Adriatic Plate, underlying western Italy and the eastern Balkan Peninsula, further into the Eurasian Plate, causing folding and uplift in the rocks of central Europe. This movement is not smooth and continuous, but bumpy and jerky, as the rocks stick to one another while pressure builds up, then release suddenly causing quakes.

If you felt this quake you can report it to the Centre Sismologique Euro-Méditerranéen here

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