EARTHQUAKE ROCKS ITALY
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BY BONNITA LEMAN
ITALY CORRESPONDENT
Italy - A major earthquake struck near Pescara Italy and Rome in the night on Monday, April 6th, 2009. The earthquake struck about 50 miles northeast from Rome, 70miles southeast of Perugia and 70 miles directly south of Ancona. At least 287 people were killed, 1000 injured, 40,000 homeless and 10,000 buildings were destroyed or damaged in the L’Aquila area.
In addition to the thousands of homes being reduced to piles of rubble, many ancient landmark buildings in L’Aquila were damaged. The third floor of the National Museum of Abruzzo collapsed. The rear area of the Basilica di Santa Maria di Collemaggio and most of the domes at the church of Santa Maria del Suffragio crumbled.
Measuring 6.3 magnitude on the Ritcher scale, this was Italy’s worse quake since November 1980. The quake that struck L'Aquila is a symptom of an unusual phenomenon: collapsing mountains. Gigantic forces produced by moving crustal plates created the Apennines, the mountains that run down the spine of Italy. But these forces are also causing them to collapse. Italy, which deals with creation of the basin, lies between two huge plates: the African plate and the Eurasian plate. As the Apennine
At least 150 killed in Italian earthquake
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/04/06/italy.quake/index.html
Measuring 6.3 magnitude on the Ritcher scale, this was Italy’s worse quake since November 1980. The quake that struck L'Aquila is a symptom of an unusual phenomenon: collapsing mountains. Gigantic forces produced by moving crustal plates created the Apennines, the mountains that run down the spine of Italy. But these forces are also causing them to collapse. Italy, which deals with creation of the basin, lies between two huge plates: the African plate and the Eurasian plate. As the Apennine mountains ride over that basin, gravity
pulls them down.
The Italian government has launched a judicial inquiry and buildings which had collapsed were found made of poor materials. . Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said the government plans to build new towns close to existing ones with the help of funds from Italy's 100 provinces Berlusconi said that the mafia would be kept out of the reconstruction of the Abruzzo and neighbouring towns to control against property speculators.
Devastating earthquakes in Italy point out the need for structural controls in buildings that could reduce the impact seismic events on structures. Such controls could save lives and millions of dollars from building and infrastructure damage.
Extracted from ScienceDaily, Quake Control that could minimise damage:
- Seismic shock absorbers for wood frame houses
- Predicted ground motions for great earthquake
- Wireless sensors limit earthquake damage
- Simple building fixes
bonnita_leman@yahoo.com.sg
Bibliography
CTV News
http://www.toronto.ctv.ca/
Magnitude-6.3 quake hits northeast of Rome
Updated: Sun Apr. 05 2009 11:52:10 PM
http://news.bbc.co.uk/
CCTV of Italian earthquake
Updated at 19:35 GMT, Tuesday, 7 April 2009 20:35 UK
http://www.cctv.com/
179 killed in Italian earthquake
Updated 04-07-2009 19:55
NewsPaper
www.usatoday.com/
Italy quake death toll reported at 267
Updated 4/8/2009 2:03 PM
http://www.thenational.ae/
Italy mourns earthquake victims
Last Updated: April 10. 2009 2:08PM UAE
Book References
Peace of Mind in Earthquake Country :How to Save Your Home, Business and Life
By Peter I. Yanev and Andrew C.T. Thompson; Chronicle Books ; 2009
National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program www.fema.gov/plan/prevent/earthquake/nehrp.shtm
Catastrophic Risk: Analysis and Management; Erik Banks; John Wiley @ sons, Ltd.; 2005
Bracing for Disaster: Earthquake-Resistant Architecture and Engineering in San Francisco, 1838-1933; Stephen Tobriner; Heyday Books; 2006
FEMA, 2006. Homebuilders' Guide to Earthquake-Resistant Design and Construction, Publication 232, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Washington, DC.
Websites
Quake Control: "Shock Absorbers" Could MinimizeDamage
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1999/10/991007083514.htm
Collapsing Mountains Rocked Italy's Earthquake
www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102804479
Rome Earthquake: Italy Earthquake 2009 Devastates
www.rightpundits.com/?p=3663
Earthquake Details
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/eqinthenews/2009/us2009fcaf/
About Italy 2009 Central Italy Earthquake
www.andhranews.net/Features/Events/April-2009-Central-Italy-Earthquake.asp
Worst quake since 1980
www.alertnet.org/db/crisisprofiles/IT_EAR.htm
The Italian government has launched a judicial inquiry and buildings which had collapsed were found made of poor materials. . Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said the government plans to build new towns close to existing ones with the help of funds from Italy's 100 provinces Berlusconi said that the mafia would be kept out of the reconstruction of the Abruzzo and neighbouring towns to control against property speculators.
Devastating earthquakes in Italy point out the need for structural controls in buildings that could reduce the impact seismic events on structures. Such controls could save lives and millions of dollars from building and infrastructure damage.
Extracted from ScienceDaily, Quake Control that could minimise damage:
- Seismic shock absorbers for wood frame houses
- Predicted ground motions for great earthquake
- Wireless sensors limit earthquake damage
- Simple building fixes
bonnita_leman@yahoo.com.sg
Bibliography
CTV News
http://www.toronto.ctv.ca/
Magnitude-6.3 quake hits northeast of Rome
Updated: Sun Apr. 05 2009 11:52:10 PM
http://news.bbc.co.uk/
CCTV of Italian earthquake
Updated at 19:35 GMT, Tuesday, 7 April 2009 20:35 UK
http://www.cctv.com/
179 killed in Italian earthquake
Updated 04-07-2009 19:55
NewsPaper
www.usatoday.com/
Italy quake death toll reported at 267
Updated 4/8/2009 2:03 PM
http://www.thenational.ae/
Italy mourns earthquake victims
Last Updated: April 10. 2009 2:08PM UAE
Book References
Peace of Mind in Earthquake Country :How to Save Your Home, Business and Life
By Peter I. Yanev and Andrew C.T. Thompson; Chronicle Books ; 2009
National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program www.fema.gov/plan/prevent/earthquake/nehrp.shtm
Catastrophic Risk: Analysis and Management; Erik Banks; John Wiley @ sons, Ltd.; 2005
Bracing for Disaster: Earthquake-Resistant Architecture and Engineering in San Francisco, 1838-1933; Stephen Tobriner; Heyday Books; 2006
FEMA, 2006. Homebuilders' Guide to Earthquake-Resistant Design and Construction, Publication 232, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Washington, DC.
Websites
Quake Control: "Shock Absorbers" Could MinimizeDamage
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1999/10/991007083514.htm
Collapsing Mountains Rocked Italy's Earthquake
www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102804479
Rome Earthquake: Italy Earthquake 2009 Devastates
www.rightpundits.com/?p=3663
Earthquake Details
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/eqinthenews/2009/us2009fcaf/
About Italy 2009 Central Italy Earthquake
www.andhranews.net/Features/Events/April-2009-Central-Italy-Earthquake.asp
Worst quake since 1980
www.alertnet.org/db/crisisprofiles/IT_EAR.htm
At least 150 killed in Italian earthquake
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/04/06/italy.quake/index.html
