GERNSHEIM (DE)

Earthquake1 May 2020

Magnitude
2.1ML
Depth
2.0km ± 3.3
Belgian time
05:47:342020-05-01
UTC
03:47:342020-05-01

Main parameters

Magnitude and intensity

Two numbers often confused, with the values of this earthquake and of the Observatory’s catalogue.

Preparing the animation…

1Magnitude: the size of the earthquake

The magnitude (ML 2.1) measures the size of the earthquake at its source, from the amplitude of the waves recorded by seismographs: a single value for the whole earthquake. Since 1985, 86 % of the 3,122 earthquakes with a magnitude in the Observatory’s catalogue have a smaller one.

Animation drawn from the page and the Observatory’s catalogue (tectonic earthquakes since 1985, ML or MW magnitudes); short descriptions of the European Macroseismic Scale EMS-98.

Date and time2020-05-01 03:47:34 UTC
2020-05-01 05:47:34 Belgian time
MagnitudeML 2.1
Epicentral coordinates49.754° N, 8.450° E
Uncertainty ± 8.5 km
Depth of hypocenter2.0 ± 3.3 km
Event IDROB 9955

Data source : ROB (Royal Observatory of Belgium)
Last update : 2020-05-05 08:13:14 Belgian time

Location map

Where and when the earthquake began

The focus, the epicentre and their uncertainties, with this earthquake’s values.

Preparing the animation…

1Focus and epicentre

An earthquake starts at depth, at the focus (or hypocentre): here 2 km below the surface. The point on the surface right above it is the epicentre (49.754° N, 8.450° E), the one the map shows.

Values from the page and the Observatory’s catalogue (tectonic earthquakes since 1985).

  • Epicentre
  • Station that recorded the event

Seismic activity in the area

Known earthquakes around the epicentre, from the catalogue of the Royal Observatory of Belgium.

Within 10 km of the epicentre

7 other earthquakes in the catalogue since 2019. 6 of them occurred after this one. By magnitude, it is the joint 4th largest of the 8 earthquakes of known magnitude in the area.

Latest earthquakes before this one

DatePlaceMagnitudeIntensityDistance km
2019-06-05ALSHEIM (DE)ML 2.2–8.0

Largest known earthquakes

DatePlaceMagnitudeIntensityDistance km
2023-09-10RIEDSTADT (DE)ML 2.8–9.1
2019-06-05ALSHEIM (DE)ML 2.2–8.0
2020-05-03GERNSHEIM (DE)ML 2.2–0.6
2020-05-01This earthquakeML 2.1––
2020-05-03GERNSHEIM (DE)ML 2.1–1.9
Notes and method

Tectonic and induced earthquakes from the Observatory’s catalogue, suspected ones included; quarry blasts, explosions and other events are not counted. Epicentral distances on the WGS84 ellipsoid.

Municipality: 2025 municipal boundaries (Statbel), applied to every earthquake, including those before the merger of municipalities. For an epicentre outside Belgium, only the circular area is given. Each earthquake’s name is the catalogue’s: it may refer to a place near the epicentre.

Magnitude: the one given on each earthquake’s page (ML preferably, otherwise MW or MS); magnitudes of different types are compared as they are.

The epicentres of historical earthquakes are only known to within a few kilometres, sometimes more: whether they fall in the area is indicative. Small earthquakes have only been recorded as the station network grew: the area’s older earthquakes are mostly the largest ones, and recent activity looks more frequent.

Station measurements

P- and S-wave arrivals and ground displacement measured at each station. Click a column heading to change the order.

km°UTCUTCs
Network STR1 station
WLSWelschbruch169.320903:48:02.69+28.19 s––
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