The Swiss Seismological Service (SED) at ETH Zurich is the federal agency for earthquakes. Its activities are integrated in the federal action plan for earthquake precaution.
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Felt Earthquakes in Switzerland
|
Local Time |
Mag. |
Location |
Felt? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-07-08 02:18 | 2.7 | CHATEAU-D'OEX VD | Felt |
| 2017-07-02 12:53 | 2.3 | Gelterkinden BL | Slightly felt |
| 2017-07-01 11:29 | 2.6 | CHATEAU-D'OEX VD | Slightly felt |
| 2017-07-01 10:10 | 4.3 | CHATEAU-D'OEX VD | Widely felt |
Latest Earthquakes
|
Local Time |
Magnitude |
Location |
|---|---|---|
| 2017-07-20 12:56 | 1.4 | Freiburg im Breisgau D |
| 2017-07-20 02:43 | 1.3 | Walenstadt SG |
| 2017-07-20 01:13 | 1.2 | Oberwald VS |
| 2017-07-19 23:19 | 0.7 | Leukerbad VS |
Recent earthquakes magnitude 4.5 or greater
|
Time (UTC) |
Mag. |
Region |
|---|---|---|
| 2017-07-20 06:22:36 | 4.5 | AZERBAIJAN |
| 2017-07-16 04:49:24 | 4.5 | Svalbard, Norway, region |
| 2017-07-15 20:30:39 | 5.5 | Crete, Greece |
| 2017-07-15 20:30:16 | 5.3 | CRETE, GREECE |
| 2017-07-11 03:18:19 | 4.9 | Northern Algeria |
| 2017-07-10 21:04:34 | 4.5 | WESTERN IRAN |
| 2017-07-03 11:18:20 | 5.0 | FYR OF MACEDONIA |
| 2017-06-30 14:58:45 | 4.5 | Iceland |
| 2017-06-30 13:33:44 | 5.0 | North Sea |
| 2017-06-26 10:17:48 | 4.5 | Greece |
| 2017-06-26 04:22:19 | 4.5 | ICELAND REGION |
| 2017-06-22 02:48:53 | 4.8 | Aegean Sea |
| 2017-06-19 04:55:37 | 4.5 | Greece |
Recent earthquakes magnitude 6 or greater
|
UTC Time |
Magnitude |
Location |
|---|---|---|
| 2017-07-18 02:05:19 | 6.4 | Near coast of Peru |
| 2017-07-18 02:05:18 | 6.4 | Near coast of Peru |
| 2017-07-17 23:34:13 | 7.7 | Komandorsky Islands, Russia, region |
| 2017-07-17 11:05:08 | 6.2 | Komandorsky Islands, Russia, region |
| 2017-07-13 03:36:09 | 6.4 | New Ireland, Papua New Guinea, region |
| 2017-07-12 19:47:32 | 6.4 | Sea of Japan |
| 2017-07-11 07:07:13 | 6.0 | South Indian Ocean |
| 2017-07-11 07:00:01 | 6.6 | Auckland Islands, New Zealand, region |
07/01/2017
Strongly felt earthquake close to Château d’Oex (VD)
An earthquake with a local magnitude of 4.3 occurred on Saturday 1st July 2017 at 10:10 (local time) close to Château d’Oex (VD) at a shallow depth, approximately 4km. It was strongly felt in the epicentral region (Pays-d’Enhaut). Slight damages are probable in this region. It was felt in the canton Vaud, Fribourg, in the Valais and in canton Bern. More than 1300 testimonies were posted on our website in 2 hours.
The seismicity in this zone has been elevated since 2016 and several events up to magnitude 2.7 were felt in 2016 and 2017, the last one on 13th May. Saturday’s earthquake was clearly stronger. The M4.3 is part of a sequence that we expect will continue with lower magnitude events that will last for weeks, or even months. Some of them, like that at 11:29 (magnitude 2.6) will be felt in the epicentral region, and the population should expect additional quakes in the coming days. An event as strong as that of Saturday or even stronger cannot be ruled out but has a relatively low probability.
The earthquake is related to the rupture of a normal fault (extension) oriented E-W, as the previous events recorded since 2016. A broadband moment tensor inversion also suggests a shallow event with moment magnitude Mw4.0 and a normal focal mechanism. The station SCOD in the town of Château d'Oex recorded a strong motion acceleration of 1.5m/s2 – this is the second largest instrumental recording in Switzerland.
Historically, this region has been hit by an earthquake in 1770 also close to Château d’Oex, for which the magnitude was estimated to 5.2 and the epicentral intensity of VI (obtained from the damages). By comparison, Saturday’s earthquake has an epicentral intensity of V.
In Switzerland, an earthquake of magnitude greater than 4 occurs on average every year. Another earthquake of magnitude 4.6 occurred in March this year in canton Glarus with relatively similar consequences across a larger area.
The colored squares on the map show where the earthquake was felt and reported to us. In the background, the instrumentally recorded intensity is shown.
06/26/2017
Landslide and Flood in Greenland
On Saturday evening on 17 June 2017, a large landslide occurred in northwestern Greenland, around 20 km from the small fishing village of Nuugaatsiaq. Shortly afterwards, waves inundated much of the village, producing widespread destruction - 11 houses were swept out to sea, and four people are missing; in total 200 people have been evacuated from three villages in the region. The slide generated seismic energy visible across the globe, and lit up all stations from the GLISN seismic network, built through an international effort over the last decade with significant funding from the US National Science Foundation, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), and eight other international partners.
Seismic data have provided important early constraints on the slide event. A key station is NUUG, in the village of Nuugaatsiaq, one of the three stations in northwestern Greenland built and operated by the Swiss Seismological Service with the support of SNSF. These stations not only recorded the landslide signal but also the sea waves inundating the village as a result of the fjord seiche. Additional information about the landslide signals can be found here.
Further information about the seismic monitoring of glaciers, the primary purpose of this seismic network in Greenland, can be accessed here.
06/16/2017
A seismic Risk Model for Switzerland
What damage could earthquakes cause in Switzerland? At present, only a patchy answer can be given to this important question. Thanks to the Swiss seismic hazard model developed by the Swiss Seismological Service (SED) at ETH Zurich, we know where and how often certain types of earthquake can be expected and how strong the tremors they cause will be at a given location. Yet, it remains largely unclear what damage earthquakes could cause to buildings and infrastructure. The Federal Council has now commissioned the SED, in cooperation with the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) and the Federal Office for Civil Protection (FOCP), to plug this gap and devise a seismic risk model by 2022.
Based on the seismic hazard, the risk model takes account of the influence of the local subsurface and of the vulnerability and value of buildings and infrastructure. In future it will enable cantonal and national authorities to draw up improved risk overviews and use them to optimise their planning. Besides prevention, the model will serve to quickly assess where damage can be expected in the occurrence of an event. The development of the model is being financed by contributions from the FOEN, FOCP and ETH.
In addition, the earthquake risk management programme for the years 2017 to 2020 also provides for the following seismic measures, which are described in detail in the federal government press release and will aim to:
- ensure institutionalised cooperation at the federal level;
- complete the renewal of national earthquake measuring systems;
- improve the bases for hazard assessment and seismic safety requirements;
- to inventorise the earthquake-resistance of important federal buildings in Switzerland and abroad;
- to safeguard the quality of earthquake protection measures in construction projects involving Switzerland's Federal Building and Property Services;
- to draft principles and criteria for the assessment and treatment of cantonal applications for special federal financial aid in the event of an earthquake;
- to draw up a concept for the establishment and operation of a claims organisation in conjunction with insurance companies and the cantons.
In addition to devising the seismic risk model, the SED is responsible for renewing Switzerland's national seismic network.
06/14/2017
Begin of the Opening of the Geothermal Borehole in Basel
On 28 March 2017, in consultation with Basel Industrielle Werke (IWB) the Department of Health of the Canton of Basel decided to re-open the borehole in late June created in Basel as part of the "Deep Heat Mining" geothermal power project 2006. With the support of IWB, the SED has stepped up its seismic monitoring on behalf of the Canton of Basel-Stadt. In addition to routine seismic monitoring, the SED conducts a very thorough daily search for earthquakes near the borehole and automatically transmits the results to the Canton and IWB. These earthquake notifications form the basis of the traffic-light system defined by IWB, which is an important measure for reducing earthquake risk. All detected earthquakes are immediately published on the "List of Earthquakes" page.
The decision to open the borehole was prompted by an increase in microearthquake activity in the immediate vicinity of the borehole over the past few months. An extensive scientific study by the SED revealed that the increased earthquake activity will most probably subside again in the long term if the borehole is opened.
Further information on the opening process of the borehole can be found in the press release of the canton Basel-Stadt.
Further information about the geothermal project in Basel is available here.
Knowledge
Earthquake Country Switzerland
Switzerland experiences between 500 and 800 earthquakes a year, around 10 of which are powerful enough (with a magnitude of approximately 2.5 or higher) to be felt by the country's inhabitants. Find out more about the natural hazards with the greatest damage-causing potential in Switzerland.
Knowledge
Earthquake Hazard
In Switzerland, earthquakes are the natural hazard with the greatest potential for causing damage. They cannot currently be prevented or reliably predicted. But, thanks to extensive research, much is now known about how often and how intensely the earth could shake at a given location in the future. Consult a variety of different maps using our interactive web tool to find out how likely certain earthquakes are in Switzerland.
About Us
Swiss Seismological Service (SED)
The Swiss Seismological Service (SED) at ETH Zurich is the federal agency responsible for monitoring earthquakes in Switzerland and its neighboring countries and for assessing Switzerland’s seismic hazard. When an earthquake happens, the SED informs the public, authorities, and the media about the earthquake’s location, magnitude, and possible consequences. The activities of the SED are integrated in the federal action plan for earthquake precaution.
Earthquakes
Earthquake Monitoring
Around 10 times a year on average you will hear or read about an earthquake occurring in Switzerland. However, the vast majority of quakes recorded by the SED go unnoticed by the general public because they fall below the threshold of human perception and can only be detected by sensitive measuring devices. The Swiss Seismological Service (SED) operates a network of more than 150 seismic stations across Switzerland.
