All earthquakes
6.3
very strong
EARTHQUAKE DETAILS

Croatia [Land]

69 months ago · 29 Dec, 12:19

A very strong earthquake, severe earthquake, damage likely. At only a few km deep the shaking is felt more sharply at the surface.

No. 1 of the year in ItalyStronger than 100% of Italian events in the past yearNo. 1 of the year in Friuli-Venezia Giulia

Where

Croatia [Land]Earthquakes in the province of TriesteEarthquakes in Friuli-Venezia Giulia

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 ~110 km · clearly felt by almost everyone
  • up to ~198 km · felt by many people, especially on upper floors
    ≈ 224,000 people live in this area
  • up to ~319 km · felt only by some, at rest
    ≈ 3.4m 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

21 events
Magnitude:lightweakmoderatestrong

The energy released

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

43ktof TNT equivalent
177,828 lightning bolts
M3
×89,125 the energy of a magnitude 3 earthquake
M5this quakeM7

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

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 18 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
2 before18 after
this quake
Strongest of the sequence5.2

How often does it happen here?

It is the first magnitude ≥ 6 earthquake recorded within 50 km since 2014, the start of our archive.

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 closest seismic structure

Velebit

The epicentre lies about 103 km from Velebit, one of the seismic structures mapped by INGV geologists.

estimated maximum magnitude 7.3between 1 and 18 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

4.3
Croatia [Land]
9 km South · 12 km
69 months ago
29 Dec, 13:34
4.0
Croatia [Land]
3 km West · 6 km
69 months ago
29 Dec, 18:57
5.0
Croatia [Land]
4 km West · 6 km
69 months ago
30 Dec, 06:15
4.8
Croatia [Land]
3 km West · 8 km
69 months ago
30 Dec, 06:26
4.2
Croatia [Land]
7 km West · 7 km
69 months ago
30 Dec, 09:21
4.8
Croatia [Land]
4 km South-East · 11 km
69 months ago
28 Dec, 07:49
5.2
Croatia [Land]
3 km East · 9 km
69 months ago
28 Dec, 06:28
4.0
Croatia [Land]
3 km West · 9 km
69 months ago
31 Dec, 04:33
3.9
Croatia [Land]
8 km North-West · 13 km
69 months ago
31 Dec, 09:15
4.3
Croatia [Land]
5 km North-East · 10 km
69 months ago
4 Jan, 07:49

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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