All earthquakes
1.6
very light
EARTHQUAKE DETAILS

1 km North-East of Pieve di Bono-Prezzo

91 months ago · 12 Mar, 02:37

A very light earthquake, probably not felt by people. At only a few km deep the shaking is felt more sharply at the surface.

Stronger than 74% of Italian events in the past year

Where

1 km North-East of Pieve di Bono-PrezzoEarthquakes in the province of TrentoEarthquakes in Trentino-Alto Adige

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

7 events
Magnitude:lightweakmoderatestrong

The energy released

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

3.8kgof TNT equivalent
Less than the energy of a lightning bolt
M3
A magnitude 3 earthquake releases ×126 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 ≈ 23 s

Animation sped up ~4× compared to reality.

  • Trento
    37 km from the epicentre
    first tremor in ~6 s
    main shaking in ~11 s
  • Brescia
    57 km from the epicentre
    first tremor in ~10 s
    main shaking in ~17 s
  • Verona
    63 km from the epicentre
    first tremor in ~11 s
    main shaking in ~18 s
  • Bergamo
    81 km from the epicentre
    first tremor in ~14 s
    main shaking in ~23 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 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 (~6 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: 91 months ago the same area had a stronger quake (M1.7). This can only be said after the fact — it was not predictable beforehand.

1.7
The mainshock
1 km South-West of Carisolo
91 months ago · 21 Mar, 19:19
Activity in the area right now (30 km radius)
1
last 24 hours
3
last 7 days
6
last 30 days
2 before4 after
this quake
Strongest of the sequence1.7

How often does it happen here?

about every ~32 days

Within 50 km of this epicentre, a magnitude ≥ 2 earthquake has occurred on average this often: 132 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.

12225.7
Bresciano-Veronese earthquake
25 December 1222 · 46 km from here
19015.4
Garda occidentale earthquake
30 October 1901 · 42 km from here
VII-VIIIRuinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
19325.2
Garda orientale earthquake
19 February 1932 · 36 km from here
VIIIRuinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
18825.1
Monte Baldo earthquake
18 September 1882 · 28 km from here
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

Giudicarie

The epicentre lies about 8 km from Giudicarie, one of the seismic structures mapped by INGV geologists.

estimated maximum magnitude 6.8between 5 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

1.0
7 km North of Ledro
7 km East · 9 km
91 months ago
2 Mar, 17:03
1.7
1 km South-West of Carisolo
29 km North · 9 km
91 months ago
21 Mar, 19:19
1.1
4 km South-West of Porte di Rendena
12 km North-West · 10 km
91 months ago
22 Mar, 02:21
1.3
4 km South-West of Brentonico
27 km South-East · 15 km
90 months ago
24 Mar, 01:07
1.4
92 months ago
17 Feb, 09:30
1.3
3 km East of Tignale
22 km South-East · 8 km
90 months ago
7 Apr, 12:44

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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