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 mitigation.
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Felt Earthquakes in Switzerland
|
Local Time |
Mag. |
Location |
Felt? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-03-16 23:11 | 3.0 | Villaz FR | Widely felt |
| 2023-03-04 23:32 | 2.7 | Rossens FR | Felt |
| 2023-03-01 22:02 | 2.6 | Tiefencastel GR | Probably not felt |
Latest Earthquakes
|
Local Time |
Magnitude |
Location |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-03-21 02:23 | 0.7 | Goeschenen UR |
| 2023-03-20 06:44 | 0.9 | Thonon-les-Bains F |
| 2023-03-20 04:12 | 1.8 | Scuol GR |
| 2023-03-19 15:12 | 1.0 | Mulhouse F |
Recent earthquakes magnitude 4.5 or greater
|
Time (UTC) |
Mag. |
Region |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-03-21 00:20:16 | 4.6 | Greece |
| 2023-03-20 09:57:06 | 4.6 | CENTRAL TURKEY |
| 2023-03-18 09:25:31 | 4.7 | CENTRAL TURKEY |
| 2023-03-18 05:14:28 | 4.8 | CENTRAL TURKEY |
| 2023-03-16 20:41:44 | 4.6 | Northern and Central Ir |
| 2023-03-16 18:32:52 | 5.0 | Iran-Iraq Border Region |
| 2023-03-16 10:55:09 | 4.7 | Turkey |
| 2023-03-14 16:36:00 | 5.4 | CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN SEA |
| 2023-03-14 14:49:52 | 4.9 | Turkey |
| 2023-03-14 06:47:33 | 4.8 | CENTRAL TURKEY |
| 2023-03-13 02:23:17 | 4.5 | CENTRAL TURKEY |
| 2023-03-13 01:34:32 | 4.5 | Turkey |
| 2023-03-09 19:08:05 | 4.6 | 6 km E Umbertide (PG) |
Recent earthquakes magnitude 6 or greater
|
UTC Time |
Magnitude |
Location |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-03-21 16:47:24 | 6.5 | Hindu Kush, Afghanistan, region |
| 2023-03-18 17:12:53 | 6.7 | Near coast of Ecuador |
| 2023-03-16 00:56:02 | 7.0 | Kermadec Islands region |
| 2023-03-14 00:49:10 | 6.3 | Eastern New Guinea, Papua New Guinea, region |
| 2023-03-07 13:51:50 | 6.0 | New Ireland, Papua New Guinea, region |
| 2023-03-07 06:02:34 | 6.0 | Mindanao, Philippine Islands |
| 2023-03-04 06:41:22 | 6.9 | Kermadec Islands, New Zealand |
| 2023-03-02 18:04:30 | 6.5 | Vanuatu Islands |
2023-03-17
[Available in DE/FR] Erneut ein Erdbeben bei Rossens (FR)
![[Available in DE/FR] Erneut ein Erdbeben bei Rossens (FR)](/export/sites/sedsite/home/.galleries/img_news_2023/ErdbebenRossens_16032023.png_2063069299.png "[Available in DE/FR] Erneut ein Erdbeben bei Rossens (FR)
© SED")
Am Donnerstag, 16. März 2023, um 23:11 Uhr (Lokalzeit) kam es erneut zu einem Erdbeben in der Nähe von Rossens (FR). Das Beben fand etwa 3 Kilometer westlich von Rossens (FR) und 14 Kilometer südwestlich von Fribourg statt. Es hatte eine Magnitude von 3 und ereignete sich in einer Tiefe von etwa 2 Kilometern.
Innerhalb der ersten Stunde nach dem Erdbeben sind beim Schweizerischen Erdbebendienst (SED) an der ETH Zürich mehr als 250 Verspürtmeldungen eingegangen. Die Berichte über Erschütterungen stammen überwiegend aus dem Gebiet um Rossens, Vuisternens-en-Ogoz, Treyvaux, Cottens (FR), Ecuvillens, Rueyres-Saint-Laurent und Corpataux. Bei einem Erdbeben dieser Stärke ist in der Regel nicht mit Schäden zu rechnen.
Das letzte spürbare Beben in der Region ereignete sich am 4. März 2023 mit einer Magnitude von 2,7 in einer Tiefe von etwa 4 Kilometern (siehe Aktuellbeitrag vom 5. März). Zuvor ereignete sich ein Beben mit ähnlicher Magnitude (2.6) am 19. August 2009 in einer Tiefe von 6 Kilometern. Diese Region ist aufgrund ihrer geologischen Beschaffenheit anfällig für Erdbeben. Das Molassebecken, ein Sedimentbecken, wird von Nord-Süd verlaufenden Verwerfungen und Störungen durchzogen, was ein bedeutender Faktor dafür ist, dass Erdbeben in diesem Gebiet häufig vorkommen.
2023-03-09
Earthquake risk model of Switzerland now released
On 7 March 2023, after several years of intensive research, the Swiss Seismological Service (SED) at ETH Zurich, together with the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) and the Federal Office for Civil Protection (FOCP), published Switzerland's first publicly accessible earthquake risk model (see news article of 7 March).
In the course of the publication, numerous products were made available that make it possible to explore the earthquake risk in Switzerland. A brief description and direct links can be found below.
In addition, two events were held on this day to present the model to the media and to professionals. A selection of TV reports is linked below. At the event for professionals, more than 250 participants from the federal government, cantons, industry and academia learned more about the sub-components of the earthquake risk model, the results, the products developed and their areas of application. In addition, the benefits of the model and its contribution to earthquake preparedness and risk management were highlighted from different perspectives.
The earthquake risk model and its results explained
- The most important information concerning earthquake risk in Switzerland can be found here or in the information brochure “Earthquake risk Switzerland: What are the likely effects of earthquakes in Switzerland? (PDF)“
- A video informing about earthquake risk in Switzerland can be viewed here (in German).
- Determine your personal earthquake risk (approximate value) using our interactive tool.
- Explore maps of earthquake risk, earthquake hazard, amplification factors and more.
- A total of 59 scenarios illustrate the possible effects of earthquakes in Switzerland.
- A detailed scientific report on the earthquake risk model can be found here: www.doi.org/10.12686/a20
TV reports
2023-03-07
Earthquake impacts in Switzerland systematically determined for the first time
Until now, little has been known about the effects that earthquakes in Switzerland could have on people and buildings. At the request of the Federal Council, the Swiss Seismological Service (SED) at ETH Zurich together with the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), the Federal Office for Civil Protection (FOCP), EPFL and other partners from industry have developed the first publicly accessible and – to date, most reliable – earthquake risk model for Switzerland. The model provides a new tool enabling the public, authorities and businesses to prepare for earthquakes and to better cope with the next damaging quake.
Statistically speaking, every person in Switzerland will experience at least one earthquake causing serious damage in their lifetime. This means that earthquakes are among the greatest risks facing Switzerland, along with pandemics and power shortages. Although they occur less frequently than other natural hazards, they can cause significant damage. The model now being published makes it possible for the first time to soundly quantify expected earthquake damages. While earthquake hazard estimates how often and how strongly the ground could shake at given locations in the future, earthquake risk describes the effects on people and buildings. The earthquake risk model combines detailed information on earthquake hazard, the influence of local subsoil, the vulnerability of buildings, and the people and assets affected.
Greatest risk in urban areas
According to the new model, the greatest earthquake risk is in the cities of Basel, Geneva, Zurich, Lucerne and Bern, in that order. Although the earthquake hazard in these regions differs, all five cities have, by virtue of their size, a large number of people and assets that would be affected by an earthquake. In addition, these cities have many buildings, some particularly vulnerable and often located on soft ground that amplifies seismic waves.
The greatest building damage from earthquakes is expected in the cantons of Bern, Valais, Zurich, Vaud and Basel-Stadt. They account for around half of the estimated financial losses. According to the model calculations, over a period of 100 years, earthquakes can be expected to cause economic damage of CHF 11 to 44 billion to buildings and their contents (such as furniture) alone. In total, around 150 to 1,600 people would lose their lives and an estimated 40,000 to 175,000 would become homeless on a short-term or long-term basis. On top of this, there is damage to infrastructure and losses due to other effects of earthquakes such as landslides, fires or business interruptions. However, these are not yet included in the model. The earthquake risk is not evenly distributed over time, but is dominated by rare, catastrophic earthquakes that usually happen without warning.
Products and benefits
As well as compiling risk assessments for specific periods and locations, the SED can now use the earthquake risk model to develop scenarios. Among other things, this makes it possible to illustrate the effects that damaging historical earthquakes in Switzerland would have if they occurred today. For example, if the magnitude-6.6 Basel earthquake of 1356 were to be repeated, the expected death toll in Switzerland would be around 3,000, with building damage totalling approximately CHF 45 billion. However, severe earthquakes could in theory occur anywhere. The SED therefore provides a scenario for a damaging magnitude-6 earthquake for every cantonal capital and one other locality in each canton. Such an earthquake happens on average every 50 to 150 years somewhere in Switzerland or its neighbouring regions. These scenarios, 59 in total, are intended to help make the authorities and public more aware about the impacts of damaging earthquakes in Switzerland.
Based on the earthquake risk model, the SED will publish Rapid Impact Assessments (RIA) after each earthquake with a magnitude of 3 or greater. The RIA will inform the public and emergency services about the expected impacts in the event of damaging earthquakes, or quakes that can be felt over a wide area. Isolated damage is possible near the epicentre with quakes of around magnitude 4 or above. It is also possible to determine the risks for building portfolios or to produce detailed scenarios for cities and built-up areas. Switzerland thus becomes one of the first countries in the world to have a freely accessible resource for making informed decisions on earthquake mitigation and event response.
Model development
The processing of the underlying data was key to the development of the earthquake risk model for Switzerland. Over 3 million individual earthquakes that could potentially occur in Switzerland and neighbouring regions were simulated. Switzerland's more than 2 million residential, commercial and industrial buildings were divided into vulnerability categories according to certain criteria in order to be able to model the possible damage caused by earthquakes. In addition, improved data on the amplifying effects of the subsoil conditions provide a significantly better picture of local impacts. However, despite the improved data, uncertainties in the modelling mean that there are likely to be differences compared with the actual impacts. The earthquake risk model will be further refined in the coming years to reduce these uncertainties and so improve the model results.
The earthquake risk model is part of the federal government's programme of measures for earthquake mitigation, coordinated by the FOEN, the aim of which is to ensure comprehensive seismic risk management at federal level. The findings from the earthquake risk model will therefore feed into the national risk analysis and to the planning of earthquake mitigation at federal and cantonal levels. They provide a common basis for determining how authorities, the public and businesses can deal with the effects of a damaging earthquake and reinstate destroyed or damaged buildings and infrastructure. In addition, the national earthquake risk model will provide key input for planning and implementing the work of the Schadenorganisation Erdbeben (SOE), which is currently being set up. After an earthquake, the SOE will estimate the expected costs of building damage so that reconstruction can get under way quickly.
Documents for download:
Map Earthquake Risk Switzerland (high res)
2023-03-05
[Available in DE/FR] Erdbeben bei Rossens (FR)
![[Available in DE/FR] Erdbeben bei Rossens (FR)](/export/sites/sedsite/home/.galleries/img_news_2023/ErdbebenRossens_fig.png_2063069299.png "[Available in DE/FR] Erdbeben bei Rossens (FR)")
Am Samstag, dem 04. März 2023 hat sich um 23:32 Uhr (Ortszeit) 3 km westlich von Rossens (FR), südwestlich von Fribourg, in einer ungefähren Tiefe von 4 km ein Erdbeben der Magnitude 2.7 ereignet.
Beim Schweizerischen Erdbebendienst an der ETH Zürich sind vorwiegend Verspürtmeldungen aus Farvagny und der näheren Umgebung eingegangen. Innerhalb der ersten Stunde nach dem Erdbeben sind 50 Verspürtmeldungen eingetroffen. Bei einem Erdbeben dieser Stärke sind in der Regel keine Schäden zu erwarten.
Das letzte spürbare Beben im Gebiet um Rossens wurden am 19. August 2009 mit einer Magnitude von 2.6 in einer Tiefe von 6 km registriert. In dieser Region kommt es immer wieder zu Erdbeben, die im Zusammenhang mit einer grob Nord-Süd verlaufenden Verwerfungszone stehen. Die meisten Erdbeben ereignen sich dabei an der Grenze zwischen dem kristallinen Untergrund und den Sedimenten des Molassebeckens.
Knowledge
Earthquake Country Switzerland
Switzerland experiences between 1'000 and 1'500 earthquakes a year. Swiss citizens actually feel somewhere between 10 and 20 quakes a year, usually those with a magnitude of 2.5 or above. Based on the long-term average, 23 quakes with a magnitude of 2.5 or above occur every year. 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 mitigation.
Earthquakes
Earthquake Monitoring
Around 10 to 20 times a year 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 200 seismic stations across Switzerland.
