Earthquake risk in Bavaria: Where the risk for residents increases!

Earthquake risk in Bavaria: Where the risk for residents increases!

The risk of earthquakes in Bavaria is a topic that often flies under the radar, but should still be taken seriously. Even though the risk of earthquakes is low by global standards, experts from the Earth System Knowledge Platform (ESKP) warn that it is “not negligible.” This is especially true for certain regions in Bavaria, such as tz.de reported.

In Bavaria there are two main regions with an increased earthquake risk. The first is in the south, around Garmisch-Partenkirchen, where the second highest risk level prevails. The second, riskier zone extends in the west and center of the Free State. Garmisch-Partenkirchen is therefore a central point in the Bavarian earthquake hotspot.

Earthquake zones in Bavaria

The earthquake zones in Bavaria can be easily traced on a special map that was created in the late 1990s by Prof. Dr. Gottfried Grünthal was created. This map forms the basis for the earthquake-resistant building standard DIN EN 1998-1/NA, which was developed on behalf of the German Institute for Building Technology (DIBt). Bavaria is divided into two level one earthquake zones:

• Die nördliche Zone von der westlichen Grenze bis Gaimersheim, einschließlich Donauwörth, Eichstätt und Nördlingen.
• Die südliche Zone von der Grenze zu Baden-Württemberg bis in den Landkreis Miesbach, inklusive Oberallgäu und Ostallgäu.

In addition, in the extreme south of Garmisch-Partenkirchen there is even a small area with a level two earthquake zone. Prof. Dr. Grünthal emphasizes that earthquake activity plays an important role, especially in the tectonically active Alpine region.

Measurements and education

Did you know that the Bavarian State Office for the Environment registers “hundreds of small earthquakes” every year? Although these are usually not dramatic, awareness remains important. Interested citizens even have the option of accessing current measurements of earthquakes in real time on the Internet.

In order to better plan and assess risks, binding planning maps have been created in other federal states that assign administrative units such as municipalities and cities to specific earthquake zones. There are clear guidelines in accordance with DIN 4149 for federal states such as Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia and Thuringia in order to be able to better assess possible risks there too. However, different assignments can also occur in the peripheral areas of earthquake zones, which is why the official maps should always be consulted gfz-potsdam.de notes.

For anyone who would like to find out more about the earthquake zones in Germany and the associated administrative classifications, this offers gfz.de a helpful overview. In view of the potential risks, it remains important to exercise a good hand in structural planning and to take the local conditions into account.