Earthquake Journal Entry

Deadly Quake Jolts Italy (April 7, 2009)

A deadly earthquake rocked central Italy this week. Nearly 300 people were killed and more than 1,500 others were injured. The earthquake leveled or damaged over 10,000 homes and other buildings, leaving an estimated 100,000 people homeless. Shaking was felt across a wide area of central Italy. It's the nation's worst quake in almost thirty years.

Much of the damage was centered in and around the medieval city of L'Aquila nestled in a valley surrounded by the majestic Apennine Mountains. Scenes of destruction were everywhere after the quake destroyed both ancient and modern buildings. Rescue workers dug through the rubble hoping to find survivors trapped below.

The earthquake registered magnitude 6.3, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Its epicenter was 45 miles (75 km) west of Pescara and 55 miles (90 km) northeast of Rome. The shallow quake struck only 5.5 miles (8.8 km) below the surface.

Strong earthquakes are common in the Apennines, which are laced with many seismic faults. Stress along these faults can be traced to the collision of the Eurasian and African tectonic plates across the length of the Mediterranean Sea. Between September and November of 1997, the region was slammed with a series of eight quakes stronger than magnitude 5.0. The quakes killed 11 people and destroyed 80,000 homes in the region.