Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

One memorable event of the past year was undoubtedly the earthquake swarm that occurred north of Sion in Valais in November. So that was the inspiration for this year's Christmas card. The baubles on the Christmas tree represent the numerous quakes of the swarm, and the mountain range behind it represents the cumulative number of tremors. Click on the impage for a detailed view.

The Sion earthquake swarm took place in a region historically known for its seismic activity and where numerous small and occasionally larger quakes can also be expected in the future. There is no way of predicting exactly how seismic activity will develop there, but analysing the extensive data provided by this earthquake swarm is helping us gain a clearer understanding of earthquake activity in the area.

We wish you a very Merry Christmas and a happy and instructive New Year!