A earthquake was registered under the Lake Como on the night of June 21st. THE seismographs of theNational Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) they detected one shock seismic with epicenter located at 7 kilometers depth, between Liernaon the eastern bank of the Lecco branch of the LarioAnd Limonta from Oliveto Larioon the other side of the lake.
Magnitude and intensity of the shock
The earthquake it occurred shortly after 4 in the morning, precisely at 4:09 and 22 seconds, with a magnitude of 2.5 on the ladder Richter. This seismic event had a very modest intensity, so much so that no damage or requests for intervention were recorded fire fighters. Only a few people felt the shock and no anomalous phenomena were observed in the lake.
Analysis of the seismic event
The expert of theINGV he explained that it was a low intensity earthquake. No alert was issued as tremors of this intensity are common, especially in an area with low seismicity such as that of Lake Como. Historically, earthquakes in this area are rare and weak.
Considerations on the underwater origin
There director of INGV analyzed the specific case, underlining that the epicenter of the earthquake was located at a depth of 7 kilometers. The particularity of the underwater origin of the earthquake has raised some concerns: “There is no big difference between earthquakes on the surface and those underwater. The principles and causes are the same: the sudden movement of a rock mass underground. When this happens underwater, phenomena such as the tsunami and, in the most extreme cases, one tsunami. However, to cause such phenomena, the earthquake must be of a much greater intensity than that recorded in Lake Como.”
Conditions for extreme events
To cause a movement of water that invades the surrounding territory, the epicenter of the earthquake should be about 7-8 kilometers deep and the intensity of the earthquake much higher than the 2.5 degrees recorded. For the Lake Como, this is not a plausible scenario. The area of Lario it is historically low in seismicity and has never recorded earthquakes capable of causing damage to structures or buildings.
Possibility of future tremors
Although everything seems to indicate a single and isolated event, Pacor does not rule out any hypotheses: “The area is relatively quiet. The chances of such an event happening again are very low. I can say that earthquakes capable of causing tidal waves or tsunamis are highly unlikely. However, other tremors, always of very limited magnitude, could occur.”
