Magnitude 4.1 earth tremor shakes Riviera
The Baie des Anges seen from above © Unsplash
The earth shook on Tuesday evening, reminding us of the region’s vulnerability to the tectonic vagaries of the Ligurian Fault.
At around 6.45 pm on Tuesday 18 March, a seismic event measuring 4.1 on the Richter scale shook the whole of the French Riviera. The epicentre was located between the communes of Coaraze and Contes, around 15 kilometres north of Nice. The tremor, which only lasted a few seconds, was clearly felt not only in Nice but throughout the Alpes-Maritimes department, the east of the Var, in Monaco and as far away as Imperia in Italy.
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A strong aftershock, magnitude 3.7, occurred later in the evening, at around 10.25 pm, triggering a new wave of concern among residents.
No significant damage
Despite the strength of the tremor, no injuries or significant material damage were reported. Emergency services remained operational throughout the evening to respond to the many incoming calls.
“An aftershock of a lower magnitude, in the hours and days following the first event, is common according to seismic experts,” say the authorities, who urge the public not to put unnecessary strain on the emergency lines.
The Côte d’Azur, a high-risk area
Françoise Courboulex, seismologist at the CNRS and for Géo Azur, pointed out in our article last January: “In France, this is where the risk of earthquakes is greatest. And the closer we get to Italy, the stronger and more frequent the tremors will be.”
The Liguria fault, which stretches from Nice to Savona in Italy, is the main cause of this seismic activity. Although they are frequent, earthquakes in the region rarely exceed magnitude 4.
Best practices
In the event of an earthquake, experts recommend you take shelter under a sturdy table to protect your head and, if possible, get out and move away from buildings. On the coast, it is advisable to move away from the sea and not to take out your phone to film the phenomenon.
For the time being, Riviera residents can rest easy: no alerts have been issued as a result of the tremors.