Earthquakes – A Serious Hazard for Switzerland

After ten years of intensive research, the Swiss Seismological Service (SED) at ETH Zurich has created an updated seismic hazard model, which confirms that earthquakes are a serious hazard for Switzerland.

Estimates suggest that in Switzerland earthquakes are the natural hazard with the greatest potential for causing damage. On behalf of the federal government, the SED monitors earthquake activity and estimates the level of seismic hazard in Switzerland. The SED regularly publishes a model describing possible future earthquakes and the associated ground movements. The newly-published, updated seismic hazard model is based on improved predictive models, new and more exact data, and revised estimates based on historical sources. It replaces the model from 2004 and facilitates a more concrete assessment of the level of hazard. Experts and authorities will use the new model as a basis for making decisions regarding earthquake mitigation and the risk management involved.