Italy – 800 aftershocks and ‘more to come’

The Emilia Romagna area “could be shaking violently for years to come,” says this article in The Guardian.

“Since they were first thrown out of bed in the early hours of 20 May by a 6.0-magnitude quake, residents’ nerves have been jarred by 800 aftershocks.”

It is likely that this spate of earthquakes “could continue for years,” said Giuliano Panza, professor of seismology at the University of Trieste.

“It is down to the pressure caused as the Apennine mountains push slowly north under the Po valley,” explained Giulio Selvaggi, director of Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Vulcanology. “The whole area has been shaking for a year, with shocks above 4.5, and we just cannot say if we have reached the climax yet.”

Experts point out that Italy is, and always has been, a seismic hotspot, most recently seen in L’Aquila, where 300 died in 2009.

See entire article:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/may/29/italy-earthquakes-800-aftershocks-emilia

Thanks to Laurel for this link