All earthquakes
2.1
light
EARTHQUAKE DETAILS

2 km North-East of Caselle Landi

130 months ago · 8 Dec, 15:02

A light earthquake, rarely felt by people. At this depth the shaking is felt, but rarely causes damage.

Stronger than 90% of Italian events in the past year

Where

2 km North-East of Caselle LandiEarthquakes in the province of LodiEarthquakes in Lombardia

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

2 events
Magnitude:lightweakmoderatestrong

The energy released

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

21kgof TNT equivalent
Less than the energy of a lightning bolt
M3
A magnitude 3 earthquake releases ×22 its energy
M1this quakeM3

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 ≈ 17 s

Animation sped up ~3× compared to reality.

  • Piacenza
    10 km from the epicentre
    first tremor in ~5 s
    main shaking in ~8 s
  • Cremona
    17 km from the epicentre
    first tremor in ~5 s
    main shaking in ~9 s
  • Pavia
    52 km from the epicentre
    first tremor in ~10 s
    main shaking in ~17 s
  • Parma
    53 km from the epicentre
    first tremor in ~10 s
    main shaking in ~17 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

27 km
medium depth
3 times the height of Mount Everest

At this depth the shaking is felt, but rarely causes damage.

in line with the area average (~25 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?

Foreshock

In hindsight it was a foreshock: 130 months ago the same area had a stronger quake (M2.6). This can only be said after the fact — it was not predictable beforehand.

2.6
The mainshock
1 km North-East of Cavenago d'Adda
130 months ago · 14 Dec, 10:23
Activity in the area right now (30 km radius)
0
last 24 hours
0
last 7 days
0
last 30 days
0 before1 after
this quake
Strongest of the sequence2.6

How often does it happen here?

about every ~26 days

Within 50 km of this epicentre, a magnitude ≥ 2 earthquake has occurred on average this often: 162 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.

18025.6
Valle dell'Oglio earthquake
12 May 1802 · 35 km from here
VIII-IXDestructive: many buildings partly or fully collapse.
14385.6
Parmense earthquake
11 June 1438 · 44 km from here
VIIIRuinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
17865.2
Pianura lombarda earthquake
7 April 1786 · 28 km from here
VII-VIIIRuinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
19515.2
Lodigiano earthquake
15 May 1951 · 21 km from here
VI-VIIVery strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.

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

The closest seismic structure

Portalbera-Cremona

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

estimated maximum magnitude 6.7between 2 and 7 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
1 km North-East of Cavenago d'Adda
28 km North-West · 38 km
130 months ago
14 Dec, 10:23

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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