All earthquakes
3.6
weak
EARTHQUAKE DETAILS

M3.6 earthquake · 3 km South of Bordano (UD)

8 years ago · 9 May 2018, 23:48

A weak earthquake, felt by some of the population. At only a few km deep the shaking is felt more sharply at the surface.

No. 4 of the month in ItalyStronger than 99% of Italian events in the past yearThe strongest of the past 12 months within 50 km

Where

3 km South of BordanoEarthquakes in the province of UdineEarthquakes in Friuli-Venezia Giulia

How far away could it be felt?

An estimate of how far people may have felt this quake.

  • up to ~8 km · felt by many people, especially on upper floors
    ≈ 19,000 people live in this area
  • up to ~27 km · felt only by some, at rest
    ≈ 179,000 people live in this area

The coloured rings on the map below show these distances.

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

19 events
Magnitude:lightweakmoderatestrong

The energy released

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

3.8tof TNT equivalent
16 lightning bolts
M3
×7.9 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 ≈ 28 s

Animation sped up ~5× compared to reality.

  • Udine
    29 km from the epicentre
    first tremor in ~5 s
    main shaking in ~9 s
  • Pordenone
    54 km from the epicentre
    first tremor in ~9 s
    main shaking in ~16 s
  • Trieste
    90 km from the epicentre
    first tremor in ~15 s
    main shaking in ~26 s
  • Treviso
    98 km from the epicentre
    first tremor in ~16 s
    main shaking in ~28 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

9 km
shallow
1 times the height of Mount Everest

At only a few km deep the shaking is felt more sharply at the surface.

in line with the area average (~9 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 13 aftershocks within 30 km. Aftershocks tend to fade in number and strength over time.

Activity in the area right now (30 km radius)
1
last 24 hours
5
last 7 days
19
last 30 days
5 before13 after
this quake
Strongest of the sequence2.2

How often does it happen here?

about every ~8 months

Within 50 km of this epicentre, a magnitude ≥ 3.5 earthquake has occurred on average this often: 18 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.

13486.6
Alpi Giulie earthquake
25 January 1348 · 43 km from here
IX-XCompletely destructive: most buildings are destroyed.
19766.5
Friuli earthquake
6 May 1976 · 7 km from here
IX-XCompletely destructive: most buildings are destroyed.
15116.3
Friuli-Slovenia earthquake
26 March 1511 · 14 km from here
IXDestructive: many buildings partly or fully collapse.
19286.0
Carnia earthquake
27 March 1928 · 13 km from here
IXDestructive: many buildings partly or fully collapse.

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

The closest seismic structure

Trasaghis-Taipana

The epicentre sits above this source area: the deep structure where this area's earthquakes can originate.

estimated maximum magnitude 6.3between 6 and 11 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

1.3
3 km South of Bordano
0 km South-West · 9 km
8 years ago
9 May 2018, 23:27
1.5
8 years ago
8 May 2018, 10:25
1.1
2 km South-West of Preone
19 km West · 11 km
8 years ago
13 May 2018, 00:58
1.3
1 km West of Tolmezzo
15 km North-West · 7 km
8 years ago
15 May 2018, 06:58
0.8
8 years ago
3 May 2018, 01:16
1.1
2 km North-West of Raveo
26 km North-West · 7 km
8 years ago
17 May 2018, 23:21
1.5
11 km East of Resia
29 km East · 10 km
8 years ago
19 May 2018, 00:30
1.1
10 km East of Resia
28 km East · 11 km
8 years ago
19 May 2018, 00:45
0.5
8 years ago
21 May 2018, 17:21
0.9
3 km South of Bordano
1 km South-East · 8 km
8 years ago
22 May 2018, 22:43

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).