Earthquake research in Carinthia: insights into the geological past

Earthquake research in Carinthia: insights into the geological past

The fascinating geology of Carinthia has attracted great attention in recent years, especially with regard to the significant role of earthquakes in the Region. Earthquakes are not just natural phenomena; They have shaped the landscape of this historic area. The most famous example is Villach's devastating earthquake in 1348, which triggered a massive landslide and changed the lower Gailtal sustainably. The Gmünder Stieben from 1690 also led to considerable damage, while the friules of 1976 had tragic consequences in Italy - almost 1000 people lost their lives. Despite these catastrophic events, the question remains what exactly is behind these natural hazards.

Scientists from Jena and Hanover have devoted themselves to this question and have been investigating earthquake activities in the Gail and Lesachtal since 2021. Her latest investigation in Maria Luggau is particularly interesting, where you analyze rock samples. The trigger for your interest is the periadriatic disorder, which extends over a distance of 700 kilometers and is considered one of the decisive geological fault lines in Europe. These disorders in the earth's crust bring tensions that discharge in the form of earthquakes. The drama of events contains a scientific complexity that needs to be deciphered, and rock samples from Maria Luggau are of central importance.

The causes behind the earthquakes

The previous research results show that the region Gail, Lesach and Pustertal was affected by strong earthquakes in the last 250,000 to 1,000,000 years. The movements of the periadriatic disorder were responsible for this and still have an impact. What the researchers particularly surprised is the realization that the activity of this geological disorder lasted much longer than previously suspected. Previous assumptions assumed that earthquake activity in this region ended about five million years ago. However, current data prove that these assumptions were incorrect.

The new findings also bring positive news: According to the current analyzes, severe earthquakes that could be triggered by the periadriciatic disorder are extremely unlikely these days. Historical earthquakes, such as the Villacher shake, cannot be attributed to this disorder. This gives the local population a certain degree of all -clear. In order to further check the results of ongoing research, the magnetic properties of the rock samples acquired this year are currently analyzed.

insight into natural dangers