Local date | July 30, 1627 |
---|---|
Local time | 10:50 [1] |
Magnitude | 6.7 Mw [2] |
Epicenter | 41°44′N15°20′E / 41.74°N 15.34°E [2] |
Fault | Apricena Fault [3] |
Total damage | Severe [1] |
Max. intensity | MMI X (Extreme) [1] |
Tsunami | Yes [1] |
Casualties | 5,000 dead |
The 1627 Gargano earthquake struck Gargano and part of Tavoliere, southern Italy, at about mid-day on 30 July 1627. A "very large earthquake" caused a major tsunami, the largest seismic event ever recorded in the Gargano region, [4] which "produced severe damage in the whole promontory", killing about 5,000 people. [5] Four aftershocks were documented. The most extensive damage was noted between San Severo and Lesina.
Some sources describe a large 1626 Naples earthquake, [6] but other have argued that these are misreports of the 1627 event. [7]
A volcano observatory is an institution that conducts research and monitoring of a volcano.
An earthquake occurred northeast of the city of Adana in the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia on 14 May 1269 at "the first hour of the night". Most sources give a death toll of 8,000 in the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia in southern Asia Minor, but a figure of 60,000 dead was reported by Robert Mallet in 1853 and repeated in many later catalogues.
A devastating earthquake occurred on 28 December 1908 in Sicily and Calabria, southern Italy with a moment magnitude of 7.1 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of XI (Extreme). The epicentre was in the Strait of Messina which separates Sicily from the Italian mainland. The cities of Messina and Reggio Calabria were almost completely destroyed and between 75,000 and 82,000 people died, making it the deadliest earthquake in the history of Europe.
The 1980 Irpinia earthquake took place in Italy on 23 November 1980, with a moment magnitude of 6.9 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme). It left at least 2,483 people dead, at least 7,700 injured, and 250,000 homeless.
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On December 5, 1456, the largest earthquake to occur on the Italian Peninsula struck the Kingdom of Naples. The earthquake had an estimated moment magnitude of Mw 7.19–7.4, and was centred near the town of Pontelandolfo in the present-day Province of Benevento, southern Italy. Earning a level of XI (Extreme) on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale, the earthquake caused widespread destruction in central and southern Italy. Estimates of the death toll range greatly with as many as 70,000 deaths reported. It was followed by two strong Mw 7.0 and 6.0 earthquakes to the north on December 30. The earthquake sequence is considered the largest in Italian history, and one of the most studied.
A series of mainshocks struck Calabria on March 27–28 and June 9, 1638. The first three earthquakes had moment magnitudes estimated to be Mw 6.6–7.1. On June 9, another mainshock estimated at Mw 6.7 struck the same region, causing further damage and casualties. The four earthquakes resulted in as many as 30,000 fatalities.
The second shock in the 1962 Irpinia earthquake sequence was the largest and most destructive in a series of earthquakes in the southern Apennines. It occurred on 21 August at 18:19 CET, measuring Mw 6.15 and assigned a maximum intensity of IX (Violent). It was preceded by an Mw 5.68 foreshock, and followed by a 5.34 aftershock. The earthquakes resulted in nearly 20 fatalities and significant property losses.
The 1706 Abruzzo earthquake, also known as the Maiella earthquake, occurred on November 3 at 13:00 CEST. The earthquake with a possible epicenter in the Central Apennine Mountains (Maiella), Abruzzo had an estimated moment magnitude of 6.6–6.84 Mw . It was assigned a maximum Mercalli intensity of XI (Extreme), causing tremendous destruction in Valle Peligna. At least 2,400 people were killed.
The 1743 Salento earthquake affected the Apulian region of southwestern Italy on 20 February at 23:30 IST. The ~7.1 Mw earthquake had an epicenter in the Adriatic and Ionian seas, off the coast of modern-day Lecce and Brindisi provinces in Salento. It had a maximum Modified Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent), causing heavy damage in Nardò. Damage was also reported across the sea, in the Balkans. The earthquake also generated a tsunami of up to 11 meters in run-up. Between 180 and 300 people were killed in the disaster.
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Antonio Costa is a geophysicist and academic. He is a Senior Researcher at the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) Branch of Bologna, and an adjunct professor at the University of Bologna, in Bologna, Italy.