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3.1
weak
EARTHQUAKE DETAILS

M3.1 earthquake · 2 km South-East of Nago-Torbole (TN)

8 years ago · 31 Oct 2017, 05:59

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 98% of Italian events in the past yearNo. 2 of the year in Trentino-Alto Adige

Where

2 km South-East of Nago-TorboleEarthquakes in the province of TrentoEarthquakes in Trentino-Alto Adige

How far away could it be felt?

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

  • up to ~13 km · felt only by some, at rest
    ≈ 101,000 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

11 events
Magnitude:lightweakmoderatestrong

The energy released

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

674kgof TNT equivalent
2.8 lightning bolts
M3
×1.4 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 ≈ 18 s

Animation sped up ~3× compared to reality.

  • Trento
    28 km from the epicentre
    first tremor in ~5 s
    main shaking in ~8 s
  • Verona
    45 km from the epicentre
    first tremor in ~8 s
    main shaking in ~13 s
  • Vicenza
    60 km from the epicentre
    first tremor in ~10 s
    main shaking in ~17 s
  • Brescia
    63 km from the epicentre
    first tremor in ~11 s
    main shaking in ~18 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 (~7 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 4 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
4
last 7 days
8
last 30 days
6 before4 after
this quake
Strongest of the sequence2.0

How often does it happen here?

about every ~8 months

Within 50 km of this epicentre, a magnitude ≥ 3 earthquake has occurred on average this often: 17 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.

18915.9
Valle d'Illasi earthquake
7 June 1891 · 37 km from here
IXDestructive: many buildings partly or fully collapse.
12225.7
Bresciano-Veronese earthquake
25 December 1222 · 41 km from here
19015.4
Garda occidentale earthquake
30 October 1901 · 43 km from here
VII-VIIIRuinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
19325.2
Garda orientale earthquake
19 February 1932 · 27 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

Monte Baldo

The epicentre lies about 1 km from Monte Baldo, one of the seismic structures mapped by INGV geologists.

estimated maximum magnitude 6.7between 3 and 9 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

1.1
2 km East of Brentonico
6 km East · 19 km
8 years ago
31 Oct 2017, 17:34
1.1
8 years ago
26 Oct 2017, 09:41
1.0
1 km East of Fiavè
18 km North-West · 11 km
8 years ago
23 Oct 2017, 18:43
1.1
2 km South-West of Ala
16 km South-East · 11 km
8 years ago
20 Oct 2017, 02:12
1.5
1 km North-West of Ala
15 km South-East · 10 km
8 years ago
19 Oct 2017, 17:47
2.0
2 km East of Brentonico
6 km East · 15 km
8 years ago
12 Nov 2017, 20:17
1.3
3 km North of Torri del Benaco
26 km South-West · 15 km
8 years ago
17 Oct 2017, 13:56
1.4
1 km East of Brentonico
5 km East · 15 km
8 years ago
25 Nov 2017, 04:19
0.5
6 km North-West of Ala
10 km South-East · 11 km
9 years ago
4 Oct 2017, 06:13
1.8
4 km North-West of Ala
12 km South-East · 10 km
8 years ago
28 Nov 2017, 01:28

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).