900 earthquakes hit Switzerland in 2018 but few were felt
The strongest earthquake in Switzerland itself occurred on August 23rd in Valais.
Keystone
Switzerland recorded more than 900 earthquakes in 2018, the Swiss Seismological Service (SED) announced on Monday at ETH Zurich. Less than 3% (25) of them had a magnitude of 2.5 or more, the value at which earthquakes are registered by the population.
The two strongest earthquakes felt in Switzerland took place on January 17 and February 1 in the Austrian Kloster valley. Both reached a magnitude of 4.1 on the Richter scale and they were the only ones to have caused minor damage, including cracks in the facades of buildings, the SED said in a statement.
The strongest earthquake in Switzerland itself occurred on August 23rd in the southern region of Valais, near the Alpine summits Dents de Morcles, with a magnitude of 3.2. Some 400 messages from people who felt the earthquake reached SED, including residents of the Rhone Valley, whose soft subsoil is known to amplify the tremors.
Overall, seismic activity was average in 2018, the SED points out. Earthquakes with serious consequences – registering magnitude 6 or more – are a rare occurrence in Switzerland, hitting the country every 50 to 150 years.
More
More
Record number of Swiss earthquakes in 2017
This content was published on
Last year was a record one for earthquakes in Switzerland – with about 1,230 detected, including the most powerful one in over a decade.
Heavy snowfall in Switzerland causes traffic chaos and accidents
This content was published on
The heavy snowfall late on Thursday and during the night into Friday led to traffic chaos and many accidents in many regions of Switzerland.
Chimpanzee behaviours passed down through generations
This content was published on
Some of the complex behaviours of chimpanzees have been passed down and refined over generations. These include the combination of several tools for foraging.
More than 600,000 rounds of Swiss sniper ammunition reach Ukraine
This content was published on
Sniper ammunition from Swiss P Defence reached Ukraine via a Polish company in July 2023, reported SRF Investigativ on Thursday, citing official information.
Environment minister outlines Swiss efforts to limit global warming
This content was published on
Switzerland will do its part to achieve the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celcius, said Environment Minister Albert Rösti, who's attending COP29 in Baku.
This content was published on
Switzerland remains by a large margin the European champion of train travel, both in terms of the number of journeys per person and the number of kilometres travelled. Switzerland remains by a large margin the European champion of train travel, both in terms of the number of journeys per person and the number of kilometres travelled. Switzerland remains by a large margin the European champion of train travel, both in terms of the number of journeys per person and the number of kilometres travelled.
Assisted suicide: Sarco inventor defends himself against killing rumours
This content was published on
Sarco inventor Philip Nitschke has defended himself against rumours that one of his colleagues assisted in the suicide of a woman in Schaffhausen, northern Switzerland.
Too much attention paid to queer people, says Swiss survey
This content was published on
Most Swiss are well disposed towards LGBTQ people, according to a study. However, prejudice and intolerance persist in certain sectors of society, particularly towards transgender and intersex people.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Record number of Swiss earthquakes in 2017
This content was published on
Last year was a record one for earthquakes in Switzerland – with about 1,230 detected, including the most powerful one in over a decade.
This content was published on
In Indonesia, the overriding theme seems to be the same as in the past: 'where is the aid and why is it taking so long to arrive?'
Swiss Re chief fears for catastrophe bond investors
This content was published on
Global markets for “alternative capital” underwriting natural catastrophe and other insurance risks are flashing warning signals.
Geneva lodges fresh complaint against French nuclear plant
This content was published on
The Geneva authorities have issued a second legal complaint against the 46-year-old Bugey nuclear power plant in neighbouring France.
This content was published on
Davide Scaramuzza develops autonomous drones that rely on their own sensors to navigate dangerous and unpredictable search-and-rescue situations.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.