Noticeable earthquake in Austria – tremors are becoming more frequent

An earthquake with a magnitude of 2.7 shook Carinthia on the night of January 5th. However, many residents slept through the event.

Bad Eisenkappel, Carinthia – Some residents of Bad Eisenkappel in Carinthia, Austria, were awakened by an earthquake in the early morning hours of January 5, 2024. With a magnitude of 2.7, the tremor was not dangerous, but it was noticeable. Some people probably slept through the quake. Just recently, residents of the Croatian town of Čiovo were woken up by a medium earthquake.

The quake was measured at 3:20 a.m. It was particularly felt in the Bad Eisenkappel area in the south of Carinthia, where there was a noticeable jerking. The epicenter was about 23 kilometers from the state capital Klagenfurt. Loud ZMAG On average, six earthquakes are recorded in the state every year.

Earthquake of magnitude 2.7 in Carinthia partially missed

Earthquakes with a magnitude below 3 are considered minor. Although they are clearly measurable, they are hardly noticeable. However, the state alarm and warning center reported several reports from near the epicenter. Many residents probably slept through the earthquake. Fortunately, the low strength caused no damage.

“Didn’t feel anything,” commented several Facebook users on the news of the earthquake. “At least now I know what time I went from the couch to the room to sleep. I actually thought the cat was annoying again. Apparently it was an earthquake,” wrote one user who noticed the quake. “I felt the bed jerk,” said one woman.

Increase in light, noticeable earthquakes in Austria

Loud courier 81 noticeable earthquakes were recorded in Austria in 2023, most of them in Lower Austria. Four of them came from a neighboring country. However, the magnitude of the earthquakes was mostly very low. Even the strongest quakes caused only minor damage, such as cracks in the plaster. Quakes were particularly felt in St. Michael in Upper Styria and in Schwaz and Jenbach in Tyrol.

“The value is above the average of the last few years of 54 earthquakes per year, but in the range of the usual strong fluctuations from year to year,” said seismologist Rita Meurers about the high number of felt earthquakes in 2023. The number of felt earthquakes was similarly high in 2022. However, the instrumentally recorded earthquakes were almost 40 percent lower than in the previous year.