A loud noise, then fear: the phenomenon that occurred on June 20th shocked the Tuscan citizens and left an entire country confused. An earthquake? Explosion? What really happened? At the moment there are many hypotheses, but some of which have already been denied. While experts try to trace the origin of the event, let’s try to clarify and put in order what we know for sure.
Boom heard on the Island of Elba: reconstruction
On June 20, 2024, at around 4.30 pm, a loud bang was felt in several locations in the Tuscanyfrom Versilia to Argentario, passing throughElba island. Some witnesses reported hearing a loud and sudden sound, of a difficult to identify nature, which raised a wave of fear. Initially, we thought it was an earthquake, given the diffusion of the sound and the perceived intensity, but this does not seem to be the explanation.
Many have tried to clarify, giving rise to hypotheses, some more credible and concrete than others.
The earthquake hypothesis was immediately denied by the Ingv
Eugenio Giani, governor of Tuscany, initially spread the news of a possible earthquake, but subsequently corrected the information based on data provided by the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (Ingv).
Thanks to the more than reliable instruments in its possession, the INGV promptly analyzed the situation. The image of the recordings of the CAIS seismic station (Isola di Capraia) clearly showed the signal of a strong noise, however from seismographs no seismic activity emerged in the affected areas.
Given the absence of measurements on the earth’s crust, the hypothesis of an earthquake as the cause of the explosion has been ruled out. The INGV experts therefore concluded that “at the moment, the most probable hypothesis is that it is an event originating in the air”.
Jet in the skies and other hypotheses on the rumble
Other hypotheses have been considered to explain the origin of the sound. Among these, the hypothesis of a combat drone or a jet that could have exceeded the speed of sound, generating a sonic boom. However, through the words of Eugenio Giani spread via social media, the Air Force has also denied this possibility.
Another theory contemplates the possibility that a fireball, upon entering the Earth’s atmosphere, was able to produce a sound similar to an explosion, and then completely disintegrate. This theory seems to be among the most plausible, given that similar events have been recorded on other occasions, with more or less similar consequences. However, the absence of visible traces left by the meteoroid does not allow us to fully support this possibility.
The mystery of roar on the Island of Elba remains unresolved, since most of the hypotheses formulated have been disproved and none have been confirmed. The absence of seismic activity and military flights in the area leaves open the possibility that the event was caused by a atmospheric phenomenon, like the passage of a fireball. Yet, since no trace of the celestial object has been found, it is difficult to confirm this explanation.
Users on social media commented on the episode reporting their opinions and experiences, but fortunately the phenomenon does not seem to have caused any damage to the population, apart from the scare.
