2017 Ischia earthquake

The 2017 Ischia earthquake occurred in the island of Ischia, Campania, in southern Italy. The main shock occurred at 20:57 CEST (18:57 UTC) on 21 August 2017, and was rated 3.9 on the Moment magnitude scale.[6]

2017 Ischia earthquake
UTC time2017-08-21 18:57:51
ISC event611834681
USGS-ANSSComCat
Local date21 August 2017
Local time20:57 CEST
Magnitude3.9 Mw
Depth2.0 km (1.2 mi)
Areas affectedIschia, Campania
Max. intensityV (Moderate)[1] and VI (Strong)[2]
Casualties2 deaths[3]
42 injured[4]
2,600 homeless[5]

Despite of the moderate magnitude, several buildings and a church collapsed. One woman died in Casamicciola Terme, after being hit by rubble that fell from a church.[7] Another woman died when her house collapsed.[8]

Damage and debates

The collapse of several buildings and the death of two women created much controversy and debate in Italy, because many geologists stated that with a moderate magnitude quake, modern buildings should not collapse.[9]

Moreover, Ischia is a zone with a high number of irregular buildings, and many critics considered the poor construction materials as the main cause for the death of the two women and for the damage.[10][11]

The sharp increase of the population between 1950s and 1980s and the growing inflow of tourists increased the anthropic pressure on the island. Significant acreage of land previously used for agriculture has been developed for the construction of houses or residential buildings. Most of this development took place without any planning and building permits. Many houses and structures across the island sustained moderate to severe damage when the earthquake hit.[12]

References

Further reading

  • Braun, T.; Famiani, D.; Cesca, S. (2018), "Seismological Constraints on the Source Mechanism of the Damaging Seismic Event of 21 August 2017 on Ischia Island (Southern Italy)", Seismological Research Letters, 89 (5): 1741–1749, doi:10.1785/0220170274
  • d'Auria, L.; Giudicepietro, F.; Tramelli, A.; Ricciolino, P.; Bascio, D. L.; Orazi, M.; Martini, M.; Peluso, R.; Scarpato, G.; Esposito, A. (2018), "The Seismicity of Ischia Island", Seismological Research Letters, 89 (5): 1750–1760, doi:10.1785/0220180084
  • Nappi, R.; Alessio, G.; Gaudiosi, G.; Nave, R.; Marotta, E.; Siniscalchi, V.; Civico, R.; Pizzimenti, L.; Peluso, R.; Belviso, .; Porfido, S. (2018), "The 21 August 2017 Md 4.0 Casamicciola Earthquake: First Evidence of Coseismic Normal Surface Faulting at the Ischia Volcanic Island", Seismological Research Letters, 89 (4): 1323–1334, doi:10.1785/0220180063CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.