1968 Belice earthquake
 |
|
| Date | January 14, 1968 |
|---|---|
| Magnitude | 5.5 Mw |
| Epicenter | 37°46′01″N 12°58′59″E / 37.767°N 12.983°ECoordinates: 37°46′01″N 12°58′59″E / 37.767°N 12.983°E |
| Type | Thrust |
| Areas affected | Sicily |
| Max. intensity | X (Extreme) |
| Casualties | 231–400 dead 632–1,000 injured |
The 1968 Belice earthquake sequence took place in Sicily between 14 and 15 January. The largest shock measured 5.5 on the moment magnitude scale, with five others of magnitude 5+. The maximum perceived intensity was X (Extreme) on the Mercalli intensity scale. The earthquake sequence, centred between the towns of Gibellina, Salaparuta and Poggioreale, killed at least 231 people, possibly more than 400, with between 632 and about 1,000 injured and left 100,000 homeless. It is known in Italy as Terremoto del Belice.
Sicily lies on the complex convergent plate boundary between the African Plate and the Eurasian Plate. The geology of the western part of the island is dominated by the Gela Nappe, a thin-skinned fold and thrust belt. The Gela Nappe consists of Pliocene-Quaternary age sedimentary rocks deposited in the earlier foredeep, thrust up onto the thick carbonate sequence of the Pelagian-Hyblean Platform of the African Plate.
There was a sequence of six M 5+ earthquakes, making this western Sicily's largest historical seismic event, beginning with a M 5.2 shock at 12:28 on the 14 January, followed by a M 5.1 event at 13:15 on the same day and a M 5.2 event at 01:33 on 15 January, the mainshock at 02:01, and two M 5.2 events at 16:42 on 16 January and at 09:56 on 25 January.
The greatest perceived intensity on the Mercalli scale was X (Extreme) at Gibellina, Montevago and Salaparuta. Intensities at Poggioreale, Santa Margherita di Belice, Santa Ninfa, Partanna and Salemi reached IX (Violent) on the scale.
The focal mechanisms of the mainshock and the two magnitude 5+ aftershocks are consistent with thrusting on faults trending west-east, although an alternative solution has been proposed for the mainshock of right lateral transpression on a NNW-SSE trending fault.
...
Wikipedia