All earthquakes
0.8
very light
EARTHQUAKE DETAILS

3 km North-West of Tramonti di Sotto

45 months ago · 9 Dec, 16:33

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 16% of Italian events in the past year

Where

3 km North-West of Tramonti di SottoEarthquakes in the province of PordenoneEarthquakes in Friuli-Venezia Giulia

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

38 events
Magnitude:lightweakmoderatestrong

The energy released

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

0.2kgof TNT equivalent
Less than the energy of a lightning bolt
M3
A magnitude 3 earthquake releases ×1,995 its energy
M0this quakeM2

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 ≈ 28 s

Animation sped up ~5× compared to reality.

  • Pordenone
    41 km from the epicentre
    first tremor in ~7 s
    main shaking in ~12 s
  • Udine
    45 km from the epicentre
    first tremor in ~8 s
    main shaking in ~13 s
  • Treviso
    82 km from the epicentre
    first tremor in ~14 s
    main shaking in ~24 s
  • Venezia
    99 km from the epicentre
    first tremor in ~17 s
    main shaking in ~28 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

6 km
shallow

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?

Foreshock

In hindsight it was a foreshock: 45 months ago the same area had a stronger quake (M2.9). This can only be said after the fact — it was not predictable beforehand.

2.9
The mainshock
6 km North-East of Claut
45 months ago · 19 Dec, 04:41
Activity in the area right now (30 km radius)
0
last 24 hours
3
last 7 days
11
last 30 days
21 before16 after
this quake
Strongest of the sequence2.9

How often does it happen here?

about every ~18 days

Within 50 km of this epicentre, a magnitude ≥ 2 earthquake has occurred on average this often: 237 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.

19766.5
Friuli earthquake
6 May 1976 · 27 km from here
IX-XCompletely destructive: most buildings are destroyed.
15116.3
Friuli-Slovenia earthquake
26 March 1511 · 35 km from here
IXDestructive: many buildings partly or fully collapse.
18736.3
Alpago Cansiglio earthquake
29 June 1873 · 34 km from here
IX-XCompletely destructive: most buildings are destroyed.
19366.1
Alpago Cansiglio earthquake
18 October 1936 · 39 km from here
IXDestructive: many buildings partly or fully collapse.

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

The closest seismic structure

Tramonti-Montemaggiore

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

estimated maximum magnitude 6.2between 1 and 6 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

0.3
4 km South-West of Tolmezzo
21 km North-East · 14 km
45 months ago
5 Dec, 04:58
0.6
2 km North of Verzegnis
16 km North-East · 11 km
45 months ago
2 Dec, 20:57
2.8
3 km South of Claut
20 km West · 10 km
45 months ago
17 Dec, 05:59
2.9
6 km North-East of Claut
14 km West · 10 km
45 months ago
19 Dec, 04:41
0.7
3 km East of Bordano
28 km East · 4 km
45 months ago
20 Dec, 14:41
1.5
45 months ago
20 Dec, 15:31
1.1
4 km South-East of Claut
17 km West · 7 km
45 months ago
21 Dec, 02:29
2.9
6 km South of Forni di Sotto
12 km West · 10 km
46 months ago
28 Nov, 02:42
1.4
4 km West of Barcis
25 km West · 10 km
46 months ago
26 Nov, 12:59
2.8
7 km North-East of Claut
14 km West · 10 km
45 months ago
23 Dec, 21:46

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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