Discover
/
Article

Magnitude 6.2 earthquake strikes central Italy

AUG 24, 2016
Physics Today

BBC : Residents of Accumoli, Italy, and neighboring towns were awakened at 3:36 this morning local time when a magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck. The quake leveled many buildings not only in Accumoli, which was near the epicenter, but also in several neighboring towns, including Amatrice and Pescara del Tronto. At least 73 people have been reported killed, another 150 missing, and hundreds more injured. The area is known for earthquakes because it lies along a major fault line at the juncture of two tectonic plates, the African and Eurasian. In 2009 another town in the Apennines, L’Aquila, suffered a magnitude 6.3 quake , which killed hundreds of people and resulted in several scientists being charged with manslaughter for allegedly failing to adequately warn the public of the danger. Coincidentally, another earthquake , this one magnitude 6.8, struck today near Chauk, Myanmar.

Related content
/
Article
/
Article
After a foray into international health and social welfare, she returned to the physical sciences. She is currently at the Moore Foundation.
/
Article
Modeling the shapes of tree branches, neurons, and blood vessels is a thorny problem, but researchers have just discovered that much of the math has already been done.

Get PT in your inbox

pt_newsletter_card_blue.png
PT The Week in Physics

A collection of PT's content from the previous week delivered every Monday.

pt_newsletter_card_darkblue.png
PT New Issue Alert

Be notified about the new issue with links to highlights and the full TOC.

pt_newsletter_card_pink.png
PT Webinars & White Papers

The latest webinars, white papers and other informational resources.

By signing up you agree to allow AIP to send you email newsletters. You further agree to our privacy policy and terms of service.