Earthquake Information Brief Dec 2013

Commander, Naval Support Activity Naples, Italy

29 December 2013 Earthquake Steve Ursell Installation Training Officer DSN: 626-3948 E-mail: Steven.Ursell@eu.navy.mil

Overview • Briefing purpose.

• Richter and Mercalli scale discussion.

• Recent Italian earthquakes.

• Attenuation.

• Earthquake sensor locations.

• (Vesuvius) sensor locations.

• Vesuvius sensors screen grabs.

• 29 Dec 2013 and 23 Nov 1980 Irpinia earthquakes compared.

• Helpful links.

Purpose • Provide introduction to earthquakes.

• Increase situational awareness.

• Make available handy links to important information.

• This briefing is informational in nature, not a decision brief.

Richter and Mercalli Scale Discussion • Richter Scale: • Logarithmic.

• A level 6 earthquake is 10 times bigger than a level 5 earthquake.

• A level 7 earthquake is 100 times bigger than a level 5 earthquake.

• Richter scale ratings are determined soon after an earthquake.

• Mercalli Scale: • Subjective interpretations.

• A low intensity earthquake (II) is one in which only some people feel the vibration and there is no significant property damage.

• The highest rating (XII) is applied to earthquakes in which structures are destroyed, the ground is cracked and landslides are initiated.

• Mercalli ratings can't be determined until investigators have had time to talk to many eyewitnesses to find out what occurred during the earthquake.

• Online reporting: http://www.haisentitoilterremoto.it/xml-server.php

• Richter Scale magnitude comparison calculator.

• http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/topics/calculator.php/

Recent Italian Earthquakes • Over the past 31 years.

• 150,000+ recorded earthquakes.

• Most not been felt by the population.

• 50+ greater than 5.0.

• Large orange circles.

• 29 Dec 2013 located at white star.

• Earthquake Risk • Purple is the area at most risk.

• 10% probability of exceeding normalized standard within 50 years.

• Naples is at low risk.

Attenuation (USGS Graphics) Quake begins Station 1 Quake begins near Station 1

Station 1 Registers quake

Station 2 registers quake

Quake registers at Station 2

INGV Earthquake Sensor Locations

29 Dec 2013.

(Vesuvius) Sensor Locations SGG STH BAC OC9

The Vesuvius observatory maintains its own sensor network.

OVO BKE

Vesuvius Sensors 1700-2100L, 29 Dec 2013 SGG Maltese

OC9 Ischia

OVO Vesuvio

BKE Vesuvio

Earthquakes Compared •

29 Dec 2013 (1808L).

•

Richter scale.

• •

• • • • • •

40 miles from Capo.

Recorded by Vesuvius sensors.

No damage reported in Naples.

San Gregorio Matese water interrupted (near epicenter).

Multiple localities reported minor damage to historical buildings.

Aftershocks within 24-hours.

• •

•

Italian (INGV): 4.9.

U.S. (USGS): 5.2.

Magnitude > 2: 55.

Magnitude > 3: 6.

23 Nov 1980 Irpinia.

• • •

Richter scale: 6.89.

50 miles from Capo.

Destroyed buildings in Naples.

Irpinia earthquake was 1000 times stronger than the 29 Dec 2013 earthquake.

Helpful Links (Active in Presentation Mode) • Data resources.

• INGV (Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia).

• Homepage. http://www.ov.ingv.it/ov/index.php

• Vesuvius area sensor output (see sensor location map). http://portale.ov.ingv.it/webdata/segnali_rt.asp?loc=Pozzuoli&IdMap=3&sta=STH&comp=V&A=2.82&B=0 &C=-2.46&t=GMT&id=6

• Campi Flegrei report (Comunicati e Bollettini settimanali). http://www.ov.ingv.it/ov/en/campi-flegrei.html

• USGS (U.S. Geological Survey) earthquake listing. http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/map/

• Listing of over 40 world-wide live seismograms. http://sismic.iec.cat/earthquakes/live_seismograms.html

• Protezione Civile. http://www.protezionecivile.gov.it/jcms/

• Want to report your experience? http://www.haisentitoilterremoto.it/xml-server.php Tip: Pasting Italian language links into Google translate provides a rough English language version of the text.