BLOG 8 - DISASTERS IN ITALY
Throughout the semester, we have covered several natural disasters in Italy. From extreme weather to coastal erosion, we have touched down on how exactly these things effect the country's environment and ecosystem. But of all them, which disasters are actually the most likely to occur and pose the biggest threat to the people of Italy? The answer lies in seismic activity. Italy is located between two tectonic plates, the African and Eurasian plates. Due to its location along these plates, the country is often experiencing seismic activity as these plates move closer together and converge. This results in one of the biggest dangers for Italy: earthquakes. In the last 30 days alone, Italy has experienced 15 earthquakes with a magnitude of 3.0 or above (Volcano Discovery). In the last 2,000 years, Italy has experienced at least 400 catastrophic earthquakes; as recent as 2016, a 6.2 magnitude earthquake in central Italy left approximately 247 people dead. This earthquake practically de