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3.3
weak
EARTHQUAKE DETAILS

Costa Marchigiana Pesarese (Pesaro-Urbino)

44 months ago · 9 Nov, 07:17

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

Stronger than 99% of Italian events in the past yearNo. 4 of the year in Marche

Where

Costa Marchigiana Pesarese (Pesaro-Urbino)Earthquakes in the province of Pesaro e UrbinoEarthquakes in Marche

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?

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

  • up to ~18 km · felt only by some, at rest

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

61 events
Magnitude:lightweakmoderatestrong

The energy released

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

1.3tof TNT equivalent
5.6 lightning bolts
M3
×2.8 the energy of 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.

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 ≈ 19 s

Animation sped up ~4× compared to reality.

  • Fano
    32 km from the epicentre
    first tremor in ~6 s
    main shaking in ~10 s
  • Pesaro
    41 km from the epicentre
    first tremor in ~7 s
    main shaking in ~12 s
  • Ancona
    42 km from the epicentre
    first tremor in ~7 s
    main shaking in ~12 s
  • Rimini
    65 km from the epicentre
    first tremor in ~11 s
    main shaking in ~19 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
1.1 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 (~11 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?

Aftershock

It is an aftershock: it follows a stronger quake (M5.5, 44 months ago) in the same area. Aftershocks are normal after an earthquake and tend to fade over time.

5.5
The mainshock
Costa Marchigiana Pesarese (Pesaro-Urbino)
44 months ago · 9 Nov, 07:07
Activity in the area right now (30 km radius)
0
last 24 hours
0
last 7 days
2
last 30 days
7 before858 after
this quake
Strongest of the sequence5.5

How often does it happen here?

about every ~56 days

Within 50 km of this epicentre, a magnitude ≥ 3 earthquake has occurred on average this often: 75 events in the last 11 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.

19305.8
Senigallia earthquake
30 October 1930 · 29 km from here
VIII-IXDestructive: many buildings partly or fully collapse.
19165.8
Riminese earthquake
16 August 1916 · 48 km from here
VIIIRuinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
16905.6
Costa anconetana earthquake
23 December 1690 · 49 km from here
VIII-IXDestructive: many buildings partly or fully collapse.
12695.6
Costa anconetana earthquake
September 1269 · 46 km from here
VIIIRuinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.

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

The closest seismic structure

Pesaro mare-Cornelia

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

estimated maximum magnitude 6.5between 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

3.2
44 months ago
9 Nov, 07:16
2.9
44 months ago
9 Nov, 07:15
3.5
44 months ago
9 Nov, 07:19
4.0
44 months ago
9 Nov, 07:12
2.2
44 months ago
9 Nov, 07:21
2.3
44 months ago
9 Nov, 07:22
2.1
44 months ago
9 Nov, 07:22
2.2
44 months ago
9 Nov, 07:23
2.2
21 km North-East of Mondolfo
10 km South · 8 km
44 months ago
9 Nov, 07:24
2.2
44 months ago
9 Nov, 07:25

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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