Earthquake shakes Dresden: Houses shake, but no damage!

Earthquake shakes Dresden: Houses shake, but no damage!

On Saturday morning, February 1, 2025, a slight earthquake south of Dresden was registered. The quake occurred at 9:12 a.m. at a depth of about 8 kilometers near the Elbe and reached a magnitude of 2.6 on the Richter scale. The court of regional earthquake surveillance, which is coordinated by the Saxon State Office for the Environment, Agriculture and Geology, confirmed the strength of earthquake. The quake was noticeable within a radius of 40 to 60 kilometers, which can be verified in several calls from concerned citizens. Many reported a loud bang and wobbling houses, but no damage was reported. The police also had no information about damage in this context.

The region between Dresden and Pirna is known for the fact that earthquakes occur regularly. The Elbe zone, in which the current quake took place, is considered one of the largest tectonic structures in Saxony. Historically, yesterday's event was a relatively important one, since it has been one of the larger earthquakes in recent decades. For comparison: A similar quake with a thickness of 2.0 last occurred on September 23, 2013 near Pirna.

earthquake monitoring in Saxony

In Saxony, the seismology network monitors the earthquake activities in the Central Germany region and North West Bohemia. The signals of around 50 seismic measuring stations are recorded automatically, which continuously absorb and evaluate data. This high density of measuring stations enables precise location and immediate determination of earthquake parameters such as herd area, herd time and preliminary magnitude. Events with a magnitude of 2.5 or higher are immediately displayed on the website of the seismology network. However, the incoming data must be confirmed by a seismologist before they are included in the official list of the earth's collecting data.

The regularity of earthquakes in the region reflects the geological conditions that have developed through the tectonic activities over the past centuries. The Seismology Association of Saxony has proven to be a critical instrument in monitoring and analyzing these events in order to inform and clarify the population about possible earthquakes.