Earthquake Shakes Catania Area in Sicily
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An earthquake with a magnitude of 3.8 was felt by people in the Catania area of Sicily, Italy. The tremor happened during the night.
The earthquake was part of a seismic swarm, which means many small earthquakes happened in the same area over a short time.
A separate earthquake was also recorded near the town of Bronte, in the province of Catania. That quake had a magnitude of 3.2.
Florindo, a scientist from INGV, the Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, explained the cause of the earthquakes.
He said the tremors were generated in the southern Tyrrhenian Sea. According to Florindo, the movement comes from the Ionian tectonic plate.
This plate is sliding, or subducting, beneath the Calabrian arc, a curved region in southern Italy.
Sicily and southern Italy often experience earthquakes because of complex movements between tectonic plates in the area.
Local authorities have not reported major damage so far. However, the seismic swarm is still active, and more tremors are possible in the coming days.
Residents in the affected areas said they felt the ground shake, especially during the stronger quakes.
Vocabulary10 words
- earthquake
- a sudden shaking of the ground
- magnitude
- a number that shows how strong an earthquake is
- seismic swarm
- many small earthquakes happening close together in time
- geophysics
- the science that studies the Earth, including earthquakes
- Tyrrhenian Sea
- a sea west of Italy
- tectonic plate
- a huge piece of rock that forms the Earth's outer layer
- subducting
- one plate sliding under another plate
- arc
- a curved shape or area
- resident
- a person who lives in a place
- authorities
- people or groups in charge, like government officials
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Quiz
Answer key
1. 3.8 2. The southern Tyrrhenian Sea 3. False
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Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
An earthquake with a magnitude of _____ was felt by people in the Catania area of Sicily.
The tremor happened during the _____.
The earthquake was part of a seismic _____, which means many small earthquakes happened close together.
A separate earthquake was recorded near the town of _____.
That quake had a magnitude of _____.
Florindo is a scientist from _____, the Italian institute that studies earthquakes.
He said the tremors were generated in the southern _____ Sea.
The movement comes from the _____ plate.
This plate is sliding beneath the _____ arc.
Local authorities have not reported major _____ so far.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think earthquakes are common in areas like Sicily and southern Italy?
- How do scientists like Florindo help the public understand earthquakes?
- What would you do if you felt an earthquake while at home?
- Do you think it is useful for news to explain the scientific cause of earthquakes? Why or why not?
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