Seismic stations record any kind of ground motion, and therefore much more than just earthquakes. Our measurements are dominated by ambient seismic noise. These are vibrations caused by distant ocean waves, atmospheric pressure changes, or anthropogenic events such as blasts in quarries, traffic, construction work or explosions. This noise can be used to image the Earth beneath us, or to estimate the extent to which the local subsurface can amplify seismic waves.

Where relevant or necessary, this data can also be used to draw conclusions about events with a seismic footprint. US singer Taylor Swift's concert in Zurich on 9 June was one such event (others occurred on dates when she performed elsewhere). When a lot of people move rhythmically at the same time, this energy is transferred into the ground as harmonic vibrations and can be measured by nearby seismometers. The vibrations caused by the concert audience were visible at eight stations in the seismic network within a 6 kilometre radius of the Letzigrund Stadium. Beyond that, they got lost in other background noise. Previously, other large concerts or football matches have left similar marks on the seismic data.

From now on, the Swiss Seismological Service (SED) at ETH Zurich will publish a rapid impact assessment for any earthquake with a magnitude of 3 or more. This will inform emergency services, authorities and the public about the expected human and financial consequences of earthquakes that are felt over a wide area or cause damage, doing so shortly after these quakes occur. The assessments are based on the relevant quake parameters and the earthquake risk model of Switzerland published in 2023.

After a severe earthquake, emergency services must rapidly obtain a picture of the situation in order to deploy their resources as efficiently as possible. Rapid impact assessments contribute to this process, especially in the hours immediately after an earthquake when only limited or incomplete information is available from the affected area. It is also very important to keep the public informed in such a scenario. Although large-scale damage is only anticipated for earthquake magnitudes of around 5 or above, the SED already publishes a rapid impact assessment for smaller quakes with a magnitude of 3 or more. This helps to ensure that the whole process from creation through to application can be enacted and practised on a regular basis. On average, damaging earthquakes occur in Switzerland only every 8 to 15 years.

Am Donnerstagmorgen, dem 27. Juni 2024, hat sich um 03:06 Uhr (Ortszeit), 15 km nördlich der Schweizer Grenze in einer ungefähren Tiefe von 8 km ein Erdbeben der Magnitude 4.2 ereignet.

Beim Schweizerischen Erdbebendienst an der ETH Zürich sind bereits in der Nacht über 1'200 Verspürtmeldungen eingegangen. Das Beben war im nördlichen Aargau deutlich spürbar und stark genug, um einen Teil der Bevölkerung zu wecken (Intensität IV). Die meisten Meldungen kamen aus Liestal, Schaffhausen, Möhlin, Pratteln und den umliegenden Gebieten. Vereinzelt wurde das Beben einem Umkreis von über 100 km um das Epizentrum verspürt. Innerhalb weniger Minuten wurden in der unmittelbaren Umgebung bereits 2 Nachbeben der Stärke 1.7 und 1.4 gemessen. Bislang wurden keine Schäden gemeldet.

Ein Beben der Magnitude 4.4 ereignete sich am Dienstag, 4. Juni 2024, um 2:34 Uhr (Ortszeit) im Sihltal (SZ), rund 12 km südöstlich von Einsiedeln in einer sehr geringen Tiefe von ungefähr einem Kilometer. Weil sich das Beben so nahe der Erdoberfläche ereignet hat, war es im Epizentralgebiet stark zu spüren, jedoch gemessen an seiner Stärke in einem vergleichsweise geringen Umkreis. Dies belegen die ungefähr 130 Verspürtmeldungen, die in der ersten halben Stunde nach dem Beben beim Schweizerischen Erdbebendienst (SED) an der ETH Zürich eingegangen sind und praktisch alle von einer Epizentralentfernung von weniger als 30 km kamen. Auch typisch für solch untiefe Beben ist, dass sie teilweise als Knall und weniger als Bodenerschütterung wahrgenommen werden. Bei einem Erdbeben dieser Stärke können vereinzelt kleinere Gebäudeschäden (z.B. Risse im Verputz) bei den verletzlichsten Gebäuden auftreten.

In Switzerland, earthquakes are the natural hazard with the greatest potential for causing damage. They cannot currently be prevented or reliably predicted. But, thanks to extensive research, much is now known about how often and how intensely the earth could shake at a given location in the future. Consult a variety of different maps using our interactive web tool to find out how likely certain earthquakes are in Switzerland.

Learn more

The Swiss Seismological Service (SED) at ETH Zurich is the federal agency responsible for monitoring earthquakes in Switzerland and its neighboring countries and for assessing Switzerland’s seismic hazard. When an earthquake happens, the SED informs the public, authorities, and the media about the earthquake’s location, magnitude, and possible consequences. The activities of the SED are integrated in the federal action plan for earthquake mitigation.

Learn more