All earthquakes
4.4
moderate
EARTHQUAKE DETAILS

23 km South-West of Bonifati

132 months ago · 16 Oct, 02:16

A moderate earthquake, felt by people in the area. Being deep, it is felt less at the surface.

No. 12 of the year in ItalyStronger than 99% of Italian events in the past yearNo. 5 of the year in Calabria

Where

23 km South-West of BonifatiEarthquakes in the province of CosenzaEarthquakes in Calabria

How far away could it be felt?

A quake this small is usually not felt by people: only seismographs record it.

Statistical estimate from the Italian intensity attenuation model (INGV): actual perception depends on geology, buildings and depth. Very shallow events can be felt locally even below the threshold.

Earthquake map

7 events
Magnitude:lightweakmoderatestrong

The energy released

How much energy this quake unleashed, translated into everyday comparisons.

60tof TNT equivalent
251 lightning bolts
M3
×126 the energy of a magnitude 3 earthquake
M3this quakeM5

Each extra magnitude unit releases about 32 times more energy: an M5 is not "a bit stronger" than an M4 — it is a different league.

Energy estimated with the standard Gutenberg–Richter relation; an average lightning bolt ≈ 1 billion joules. Indicative values.

The race of the seismic waves

Two waves set off from the hypocentre: the faster P wave arrives first with a sharp jolt; the S wave carries the actual shaking.

P waves — the first sharp jolt (~6 km/s)S waves — the strongest shaking (~3.5 km/s)
t ≈ 76 s

Animation sped up ~14× compared to reality.

  • Cosenza
    49 km from the epicentre
    first tremor in ~42 s
    main shaking in ~73 s
  • Corigliano-Rossano
    65 km from the epicentre
    first tremor in ~43 s
    main shaking in ~74 s
  • Lamezia Terme
    70 km from the epicentre
    first tremor in ~43 s
    main shaking in ~74 s
  • Catanzaro
    96 km from the epicentre
    first tremor in ~45 s
    main shaking in ~76 s

Theoretical times with average crustal speeds: real values vary with geology. The gap between P and S waves is what earthquake early-warning systems rely on.

How deep it was born

250 km
deep
28 times the height of Mount Everest

Being deep, it is felt less at the surface.

deeper than the area average (~75 km)

For the same magnitude, a shallow earthquake is felt much more than a deep one: the energy starts closer to the surface.

What kind of quake is this?

Mainshock

It is the strongest quake of its sequence: so far it has been followed by 2 aftershocks within 30 km. Aftershocks tend to fade in number and strength over time.

Activity in the area right now (30 km radius)
0
last 24 hours
0
last 7 days
2
last 30 days
4 before2 after
this quake
Strongest of the sequence2.6

How often does it happen here?

about every ~10 months

Within 50 km of this epicentre, a magnitude ≥ 4 earthquake has occurred on average this often: 14 events in the last 12 years of the INGV catalogue.

An average computed on the recent past: it tells how used this area is to shaking, not when the next quake will come — earthquakes cannot be predicted.

The great earthquakes in this area's history

Almost a thousand years of catalogues: the strongest documented events within ~50 km.

11846.8
Valle del Crati earthquake
24 May 1184 · 40 km from here
IXDestructive: many buildings partly or fully collapse.
18355.9
Cosentino earthquake
12 October 1835 · 49 km from here
XCompletely destructive: most buildings are destroyed.
17675.9
Valle del Crati earthquake
14 July 1767 · 47 km from here
VIII-IXDestructive: many buildings partly or fully collapse.
19135.6
Calabria settentrionale earthquake
28 June 1913 · 45 km from here
VIII-IXDestructive: many buildings partly or fully collapse.

Source: Parametric Catalogue of Italian Earthquakes CPTI15 (INGV, CC BY 4.0).

The closest seismic structure

Crati Valley

The epicentre lies about 42 km from Crati Valley, one of the seismic structures mapped by INGV geologists.

estimated maximum magnitude 6.6between 1 and 10 km deep

Faults are mapped to build better and understand the territory: knowing them says nothing about when an earthquake will occur, which remains unpredictable. Source: DISS 3.3 (INGV, CC BY 4.0).

Other quakes in the area

2.1
12 km West of Fuscaldo
16 km East · 53 km
132 months ago
14 Oct, 12:11
2.4
2 km West of Sant'Agata di Esaro
29 km North-East · 100 km
133 months ago
6 Oct, 23:42
2.6
16 km West of Bonifati
11 km North · 230 km
133 months ago
30 Sept, 06:18
2.4
132 months ago
1 Nov, 14:13
2.5
22 km South-West of Diamante
14 km North-West · 273 km
131 months ago
10 Nov, 23:55
1.7
19 km West of Longobardi
23 km South-East · 62 km
133 months ago
19 Sept, 13:13

Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)

Estimates computed by Meteare on INGV data (Gutenberg–Richter relation; Italian macroseismic intensity attenuation model).

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