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3.0
weak
EARTHQUAKE DETAILS

Canale di Sicilia meridionale [Mare]

25 months ago · 16 Aug, 20:10

A weak earthquake, felt by some of the population. Being deep, it is felt less at the surface.

Stronger than 98% of Italian events in the past year

Where

Canale di Sicilia meridionale [Mare]Earthquakes in the province of AgrigentoEarthquakes in Sicilia

Epicentre at sea

The epicentre is at sea: for the same magnitude, the shaking is felt less on land, because the energy fades along the way before reaching the coast.

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

3 events
Magnitude:lightweakmoderatestrong

The energy released

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

477kgof TNT equivalent
2.0 lightning bolts
M3
About the same energy as a magnitude 3 earthquake
M2this quakeM4

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.

How deep it was born

31 km
deep
3.5 times the height of Mount Everest

Being deep, it is felt less at the surface.

in line with the area average (~29 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
0
last 30 days
0 before2 after
this quake
Strongest of the sequence2.6

How often does it happen here?

about every ~9 months

Within 50 km of this epicentre, a magnitude ≥ 3 earthquake has occurred on average this often: 16 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.

19944.9
Stretto di Sicilia earthquake
9 August 1994 · 42 km from here
20064.8
Stretto di Sicilia earthquake
23 November 2006 · 33 km from here
20114.7
Stretto di Sicilia earthquake
18 December 2011 · 31 km from here
19964.3
Stretto di Sicilia earthquake
25 April 1996 · 34 km from here

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

The closest seismic structure

LinosaN

The epicentre lies about 7 km from LinosaN, one of the seismic structures mapped by INGV geologists.

estimated maximum magnitude 7.6between 4 and 13 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

2.6
25 months ago
16 Aug, 22:37
2.5
25 months ago
17 Aug, 00:18

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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