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3.3
weak
EARTHQUAKE DETAILS

21 km West of Diamante

137 months ago · 21 May, 05:05

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

Stronger than 99% of Italian events in the past year

Where

21 km West of DiamanteEarthquakes in the province of CosenzaEarthquakes in Calabria

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

14 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 ≈ 88 s

Animation sped up ~16× compared to reality.

  • Corigliano-Rossano
    75 km from the epicentre
    first tremor in ~50 s
    main shaking in ~85 s
  • Cosenza
    77 km from the epicentre
    first tremor in ~50 s
    main shaking in ~85 s
  • Lamezia Terme
    104 km from the epicentre
    first tremor in ~51 s
    main shaking in ~87 s
  • Potenza
    107 km from the epicentre
    first tremor in ~51 s
    main shaking in ~88 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

288 km
deep
33 times the height of Mount Everest

Being deep, it is felt less at the surface.

deeper than the area average (~46 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 7 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
1
last 7 days
2
last 30 days
6 before7 after
this quake
Strongest of the sequence2.9

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: 76 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.

19775.9
Golfo di Policastro earthquake
30 December 1977 · 32 km from here
18315.5
Appennino lucano earthquake
2 January 1831 · 45 km from here
VIIIRuinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
18585.4
Campania meridionale earthquake
7 March 1858 · 44 km from here
VII-VIIIRuinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
20125.3
Pollino earthquake
25 October 2012 · 42 km from here
VIStrong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.

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

The closest seismic structure

Rimendiello-Mormanno

The epicentre lies about 41 km from Rimendiello-Mormanno, one of the seismic structures mapped by INGV geologists.

estimated maximum magnitude 6.6between 1 and 12 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

1.2
1 km South-West of Grisolia
27 km East · 9 km
137 months ago
23 May, 22:24
2.3
11 km South-East of Camerota
29 km North-West · 10 km
138 months ago
8 May, 08:15
2.3
Tirreno Meridionale [Mare]
13 km West · 275 km
137 months ago
4 Jun, 19:16
1.3
137 months ago
4 Jun, 21:09
1.7
137 months ago
6 Jun, 02:14
1.5
6 km West of Bonifati
28 km South-East · 65 km
137 months ago
8 Jun, 06:59
1.5
138 months ago
3 May, 00:29
1.2
3 km East of Praia a Mare
29 km North-East · 18 km
138 months ago
2 May, 17:02
1.2
4 km South of Aieta
30 km North-East · 18 km
138 months ago
2 May, 16:47
2.9
10 km South of San Giovanni a Piro
29 km North-West · 299 km
138 months ago
26 Apr, 15:49

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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