Abstract
THREE earthquakes of considerable severity have recently been recorded at European observatories, and a fourth has been experienced. The first was on April 13 and was recorded at De Bilt (Holland) at 6h. 34m. 56s. G.M.T. The epicentre was at a distance of rather more than 20° from De Bilt. The second was registered at De Bilt on April 16 at 6h. 19m. 30s. and at Kew at 6h. 19m. 33s. G.M.T. Dr. G. van Dk considers that the epicentre of this shock was likely to have been in the region of the Aleutian Islands. It gave rise to ground amplitudes of 0-031 mm. at Kew. The third shock, which caused ground amplitudes of 0-05mm. at Kew, was registered there on April 16 at 6h. 54m. 53s. G.M.T. It also appears to have originated near the Aleutian Islands. The fourth earthquake was felt on the night of April 26 at Gropperia in Calabria, Italy. The same shock was felt at Soverto and Vivo Valentia, but no damage was done. Calabria has been the scene of intense seismic activity on numerous occasions in the past; but notably between February 5 and March 27, 1783, when 181 towns and villages were completely destroyed and more than 30,000 people killed. These Calabrian earthquakes were, according to Lyell, “the first example of a region visited, both during and after the convulsions, by men possessing sufficient leisure, zeal, and scientific information to enable them to collect and describe with accuracy such physical facts as throw light on geological questions”.
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Recent Earthquakes. Nature 145, 701 (1940). https://doi.org/10.1038/145701b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/145701b0