1694 Irpinia-Basilicata earthquake
Encyclopedia
The 1694 Irpinia-Basilicata earthquake occurred on September 8. It caused widespread damage in the Basilicata
and Puglia regions, resulting in more than 6,000 casualties. The earthquake occurred at 11:40 UTC and lasted between 30 and 60 seconds.
since the Pliocene
epoch
(i.e. about the last 5 million years), with most of the active fault
s being normal in type and NW-SE trending. The extension is due to the back-arc basin
in the Tyrrhenian Sea
opening faster than the African Plate
is colliding
with the Eurasian Plate
.
and Basilicata, with more than 30 municipalities being almost completely destroyed. These included Bisaccia
. Sant'Angelo dei Lombardi
, Bella and Muro Lucano
In Melfi
, fifty buildings collapsed and the castle, cathedral, five monasteries and many churches were severely damaged. In Potenza
, several buildings, the church and the Trinità Tower collapsed.
The following number of casualties were reported, 700 at Calitri
, 700 at Sant'Angelo dei Lombardi, 600 at Muro Lucano, 400 at Ruvo del Monte
, 300 at Teora
, 280 at Guardia Lombardi
, 250 at Bella, 230 at Pescopagano
, 190 at Cairano
, 160 at Atella
, 120 at Sant'Andrea di Conza
and 100 at Tito.
on the evening of 7 September. The mainshock was followed immediately by an aftershock, the first of a series that lasted until June of the following year.
The earthquake occurred on a NW-SE trending normal fault. The area of damage for the 1694 earthquake is similar to that for the 1980 Irpinia earthquake
, but involved movement on a different fault.
Basilicata
Basilicata , also known as Lucania, is a region in the south of Italy, bordering on Campania to the west, Apulia to the north and east, and Calabria to the south, having one short southwestern coastline on the Tyrrhenian Sea between Campania in the northwest and Calabria in the southwest, and a...
and Puglia regions, resulting in more than 6,000 casualties. The earthquake occurred at 11:40 UTC and lasted between 30 and 60 seconds.
Tectonic setting
The central and southern part of the Apennines has been characterised by extensional tectonicsExtensional tectonics
Extensional tectonics is concerned with the structures formed, and the tectonic processes associated with, the stretching of the crust or lithosphere.-Deformation styles:...
since the Pliocene
Pliocene
The Pliocene Epoch is the period in the geologic timescale that extends from 5.332 million to 2.588 million years before present. It is the second and youngest epoch of the Neogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Pliocene follows the Miocene Epoch and is followed by the Pleistocene Epoch...
epoch
Epoch (geology)
An epoch is a subdivision of the geologic timescale based on rock layering. In order, the higher subdivisions are periods, eras and eons. We are currently living in the Holocene epoch...
(i.e. about the last 5 million years), with most of the active fault
Active fault
An active fault is a fault that is likely to have another earthquake sometime in the future. Faults are commonly considered to be active if there has been movement observed or evidence of seismic activity during the last 10,000 years....
s being normal in type and NW-SE trending. The extension is due to the back-arc basin
Back-arc basin
Back-arc basins are geologic features, submarine basins associated with island arcs and subduction zones.They are found at some convergent plate boundaries, presently concentrated in the Western Pacific ocean. Most of them result from tensional forces caused by oceanic trench rollback and the...
in the Tyrrhenian Sea
Tyrrhenian Sea
The Tyrrhenian Sea is part of the Mediterranean Sea off the western coast of Italy.-Geography:The sea is bounded by Corsica and Sardinia , Tuscany, Lazio, Campania, Basilicata and Calabria and Sicily ....
opening faster than the African Plate
African Plate
The African Plate is a tectonic plate which includes the continent of Africa, as well as oceanic crust which lies between the continent and various surrounding ocean ridges.-Boundaries:...
is colliding
Continental collision
Continental collision is a phenomenon of the plate tectonics of Earth that occurs at convergent boundaries. Continental collision is a variation on the fundamental process of subduction, whereby the subduction zone is destroyed, mountains produced, and two continents sutured together...
with the Eurasian Plate
Eurasian Plate
The Eurasian Plate is a tectonic plate which includes most of the continent of Eurasia , with the notable exceptions of the Indian subcontinent, the Arabian subcontinent, and the area east of the Chersky Range in East Siberia...
.
Damage
There was serious damage to the area between CampaniaCampania
Campania is a region in southern Italy. The region has a population of around 5.8 million people, making it the second-most-populous region of Italy; its total area of 13,590 km² makes it the most densely populated region in the country...
and Basilicata, with more than 30 municipalities being almost completely destroyed. These included Bisaccia
Bisaccia
Bisaccia is an Italian town and comune, population 4,382, situated in the province of Avellino. It borders the communes of Andretta, Aquilonia, Calitri, Guardia Lombardi, Lacedonia, Scampitella and Vallata.-Overview:...
. Sant'Angelo dei Lombardi
Sant'Angelo dei Lombardi
Sant'Angelo dei Lombardi is a town and comune in the province of Avellino in the Campania region of southern Italy.-Geography:Sitting on a hilltop near the Fredano river, the town is home to a cathedral and a Lombard Castle...
, Bella and Muro Lucano
Muro Lucano
Muro Lucano is a town and comune in the province of Potenza, in the region of Basilicata, southern Italy.-History:The town is situated on the site of the ancient Numistri, at the foot of the Apennines, the scene of a battle between Hannibal and Marcellus in the second Punic war.-Main sights:The...
In Melfi
Melfi
Melfi is a town and comune in the Vulture area of the province of Potenza, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata.-Geography:On a hill at the foot of Mount Vulture, Melfi is the most important town in Basilicata's Vulture, both as a tourist resort and economic centre.-Early history:Inhabited...
, fifty buildings collapsed and the castle, cathedral, five monasteries and many churches were severely damaged. In Potenza
Potenza
-Transportation:Potenza is a rail junction on the main line from Salerno to Taranto, managed by FS Trenitalia; it has also a connection to Altamura, served by the Ferrovie Appulo Lucane regional company...
, several buildings, the church and the Trinità Tower collapsed.
The following number of casualties were reported, 700 at Calitri
Calitri
Calitri is a town and comune of 5,292 inhabitants situated in the province of Avellino, Campania, Italy.- Overview :It is situated in Campania but on the borders of the regions of Apulia and Basilicata. It is approximately 530 metres above sea level so even on the hottest day there is generally a...
, 700 at Sant'Angelo dei Lombardi, 600 at Muro Lucano, 400 at Ruvo del Monte
Ruvo del Monte
Ruvo del Monte is a town and comune in the province of Potenza, in the region of Basilicata. It is bounded by the comuni of Atella, Calitri, Rapone, Rionero in Vulture, San Fele....
, 300 at Teora
Teora
Teora is a small town and comune in the province of Avellino, in the Campania region of southern Italy.-Geography:Teora is bordered by the towns of Caposele, Conza della Campania, Lioni and Morra De Sanctis.-History:...
, 280 at Guardia Lombardi
Guardia Lombardi
Guardia Lombardi is a town and comune in the province of Avellino, Campania, Italy....
, 250 at Bella, 230 at Pescopagano
Pescopagano
Pescopagano is a town and comune in the province of Potenza, in the region of Basilicata . It is bounded by the comuni of Cairano, Calitri, Castelgrande, Castelnuovo di Conza, Conza della Campania, Laviano, Rapone, Sant'Andrea di Conza, Santomenna.-Main sights:*Torre dell'Orologio , built on the...
, 190 at Cairano
Cairano
Cairano is a town in the province of Avellino, Campania, Italy....
, 160 at Atella
Atella
Atella was an ancient city of Campania, halfway between Naples and Capua; its ruins lie between the towns of Orta di Atella and Sant'Arpino. Atella is not mentioned until the Second Punic War, when, although an independent city striking its own coinage, it was allied with Capua and the other...
, 120 at Sant'Andrea di Conza
Sant'Andrea di Conza
Sant'Andrea di Conza is a town and comune in the province of Avellino, Campania, Italy....
and 100 at Tito.
Characteristics
The earthquake was preceded by a small foreshockForeshock
A foreshock is an earthquake that occurs before a larger seismic event and is related to it in both time and space. The designation of an earthquake as foreshock, mainshock or aftershock is only possible after the event....
on the evening of 7 September. The mainshock was followed immediately by an aftershock, the first of a series that lasted until June of the following year.
The earthquake occurred on a NW-SE trending normal fault. The area of damage for the 1694 earthquake is similar to that for the 1980 Irpinia earthquake
1980 Irpinia earthquake
The 1980 Irpinia earthquake took place in the Irpinia region in Southern Italy on Sunday, November 23, 1980. Measuring 6.89 on the Richter Scale, the quake, centered on the village of Conza, killed 2,914 people, injured more than 10,000 and left 300,000 homeless. It is known in Italy as Terremoto...
, but involved movement on a different fault.