Earthquakes in Italy

Main article: Italy

Difficult seismic situation

Through the center of Italy there passes the plate border as it is located not on one plate - the Eurasian platform, and on a small plate which is called Adriatic and is near the Adriatic Sea.

The Adriatic plate actually is continuation of the African platform which is forcing the way up as a finger, between Italy and the Balkans.

Plates have borders which are called sometimes lines of breaks, but in general they behave as one platform to which they are attached as the layer of rocky breeds located below is firm, and not to break off it though it also can be bent. Therefore every time when the African platform starts moving, and sets it in motion a turn of Africa, the Adriatic finger moves^[1] too].

The movement happens the Adriatic Sea from all directions, and not just from the African platform which during movements of platforms falls by the South and is displaced on the East. Big section of Europe is higher than Adriatic Sea is a stretching zone. All this leads to the movement on the border of plates passing through the center of Italy.

The African plate more is over water, its tension is connected with a turn clockwise, i.e. its massive northern part aims on the East, and narrower southern part - on the West. Tension, and on the coast - stretching zones appears from behind this difference in the middle of the continent. From the movement of all continent the east African rift is broken off^[2].

2016: Earthquakes in the Central Italy - died hundreds of people

In the second half of 2016 Italy endured the serious growth of seismic activity. Tremors of August 24 claimed the lives of 299 people^[3].

The earthquake measuring 6.5 points which happened in the state on October 30 became the largest since 1980^[4]. Many Italians were forced to live in tents and temporary shelters, being afraid to come into own houses under the threat of new pushes.

As Gianluca Valensise claims, the seismologist from National Institute of geophysics and volcanology of Italy, the last tremors are more normal state for the country, than that relative calm which it experienced since the end XVIII in end 20th centuries.

According to Valensize, earthquakes measuring 6.0 create tension also above in crust which is distributed through adjacent breaks and can lead to their gap. This process is capable to continue indefinitely on domino effect and to cover hundreds of kilometers of the land surface.

1980: Earthquake of 6.9 points: 3000 people died

In 1980 about 3000 people died from a push measuring 6.9 near Naples.

1783: An earthquake of 6.5 points in Calabria. 50 thousand people died

In 1783 five large tremors measuring up to 6.5 struck Calabria and killed more than 50 thousand people.

See Also

• Flegreysky fields (Campi Flegrei)

Notes