Earthquake swarm is hitting the Czech Republic / Germany border – new swarm on September 4

Last update: September 4, 2011 at 9:20 pm by By

Earthquake overview : The Germany Czech border area has been hit by an earthquake swarm with mainly very weak quakes, the strongest ones measuring 4.0 and 3.6. Another 4.0 quake occurred on September 3 2011.
The earthquakes started their sequence on Tuesday August 23.

We ask people who have felt this earthquake to share their information with our many readers (also from your area). Please use the "I Have Felt it" form below.

UPDATE 04/09/2011 – 08:45 UTC :
The last 10 hours, the area was even shaken more seriously than the previous days. No difference in type of earthquakes though.
Earthquake-Report.com Felt reports
Sachsen : Weak to very weak shaking indicated
Groitzschn, Deutschland – 05:55 uhr erst Grollen dann deutliche horizontale Rüttelbewegung ca.2-3 sec.
Crottendorf : Es war ein gefühl als wenn ein 38 t Lkw durch den Vorgarten fährt. Die Deckenlampe im Wohnzimmer wackelte. Heute Mittag wieder das gleiche so gegen 14,00 Uhr.
Crimmitschau : When it hit, my wife was already a wake.  It woke me up, we both looked at each other and said, EARTH QUAKE!!! :-) Sept 4 @ 3:52

EMSC Felt reports
Bad Elster : Deutlich spürbar in 08645 Bad Elster! Ein Schlag, dann etwa 2 Sekunden Grollen, danach ein noch deutlicherer Schlag und dann noch etwa 5 Sekunden Grollen. Das alles nach einer Serie (2-3 Stück) kleinerer Beben.
Auerbach : Sehr stark zu spüren in Auerbach Vogtland
Markkleeberg : in 04416 Markkleeberg deutlich spürbar, ca 2 s Vibration Gebäude, Wände und Deckengeschoß, Schranktüren klapperten
Skalná (Czech Republic) : dlouhý dunivý nástup a dlouhé doznívání
Markneukirchen : long rumble
Auerbach : Wieder ein sehr stark spürbares Neben. Alles hat gewackelt und vibriert in Auerbach Vogtland

List of quakes since midnight local time :
Date                Time       M    Depth
2011-09-04   11:47      5    4.0
2011-09-04   04:42      2    2.5
2011-09-04   04:12      1    2.5
2011-09-04   04:05      2    2.1
2011-09-04   04:02      6    2.2
2011-09-04   03:52      2    3.9
2011-09-04   03:50      4    2.3
2011-09-04   02:44      10    2.2

UPDATE 03/09/2011 – 09:07 UTC :
A lot of people living in the border area have been awakened by 2 weak quakes measuring in between 3.5 and 4 magnitude.
The strongest aftershocks so far was a magnitude 4.0 earthquake at a depth of 10 km which happened at 23:36 today (local time).
The tremors only last a couple of seconds.
The earthquakes have been well felt in Vogtland and in western Bohemia.
To give you an idea of the current aftershocks, here is a list of the aftershocks of the last 24 hours.
Date               Time      M        Epicenter
2011-09-03   08:28    2.5     CZECH REPUBLIC
2011-09-03   03:55    2.1     CZECH REPUBLIC
2011-09-03   03:28    2.4     CZECH REPUBLIC
2011-09-03   03:19    2.1     CZECH REPUBLIC
2011-09-03   02:52    2.1     CZECH REPUBLIC
2011-09-03   02:42    2.4     CZECH REPUBLIC
2011-09-03   02:25    2.3     CZECH REPUBLIC
2011-09-03   00:42    2.8     CZECH REPUBLIC
2011-09-03   00:25    3.7     CZECH REPUBLIC
2011-09-02   23:36    3.6     CZECH REPUBLIC
2011-09-02   22:19    2.0     CZECH REPUBLIC
2011-09-02   21:25    3.0     CZECH REPUBLIC
2011-09-02   21:16    3.5     GERMANY
2011-09-02   21:00    3.0     CZECH REPUBLIC
2011-09-02   20:29    2.2     CZECH REPUBLIC
2011-09-02   19:47    2.4     CZECH REPUBLIC
2011-09-02   17:28    2.1     CZECH REPUBLIC
EMSC Felt reports from the nightly aftershocks :
Klingenthal : Auch in 08223 Falkenstein noch deutlich spürbar
Gera : I was wearing headphones and watching a movie when the quake hit. Ironically, it fit in with what happened in the movie, which made the experience stranger than it would have been normally. Due to the headphones I wasn't able to hear if there was any sound associated with the quake. My bed trembled for about 3 or 4 seconds and then the quake ended. I went online to verify the occurence immediately.
Lubi: Zemětřesení se stále opakují.
Brand-Erbisdorf: It is night, i sleeping and abrupt the glas in my vitrine vibrate. Ca 30sec ca. 2:30MEZ
Rehau: I've been awake 3 times yesterday in the night. I'm living in Rehau , Germany.

IMPORTANT UPDATE: The Vogtland earthquake swarms happen on a regular basis. They had massive swarms back in 1908 and 1903 there, which caused much damage with multiple quakes of intensity 6 and 7 (MSK-Scale). They have had large swarms in 1901, 1903, 1908, 1929, 1936, 1962 and 1985-86 as well as additional swarms in 2000 and 2008. Generally the really strong earthquake sequences occur once every 75 years with major damage. This swarm seems to have started like one of the smaller ones, however there are no certainties!

UPDATE 28/08/2011 – 17:33 UTC :
2011-08-28 06:45:08     M 3.0     Depth 4 km
2011-08-28 00:44:11     M 2.9     Depth 3 km
2011-08-27 16:25:54     M 2.9     Depth 2 km
2011-08-27 12:12:25     M 2.4     Depth 2 km
2011-08-27 11:53:20     M 2.5     Depth 3 km

UPDATE 27/08/2011 – 10:26 UTC : And … as expected, the shaking continues :
2011-08-27 05:48:17     M 2.6     Depth 2 km
2011-08-27 03:13:41     M 3.2     Depth 5 km
2011-08-27 00:06:55     M 2.6     Depth 4 km
2011-08-26 19:25:11     M 2.5     Depth 4 km
2011-08-26 16:53:16     M 2.2     Depth 8 km
2011-08-26 15:27:24     M 3.1     Depth 6 km
2011-08-26 15:19:25     M 2.4     Depth 4 km

UPDATE 17:43 UTC : The earthquakes are not over yet. The following earthquakes occurred after the list below :
2011-08-26 13:23:37     M 2.2     Depth 2 km
2011-08-26 13:18:36     M 2.4     Depth 5 km
2011-08-26 08:52:40     M 2.7     Depth 3 km
2011-08-26 08:51:05     M 2.5     Depth 3 km
2011-08-26 08:26:07     M 2.6     Depth 5 km

The Germany Czech border area has been hit by an earthquake swarm with mainly very weak quakes, the strongest ones measuring 4.0 and 3.6. The earthquakes started their sequence on Tuesday.
Cheb / Vogtland is a seismically active area where the seismographs did record a lot of activity (a lot of  which cannot be felt by humans).
The earthquake has been felt in a moderate area radius near a few dozen kilometers from the epicenter. Tremors felt by people in Karlovy Vary, Lower Zandov or Birch.

Since Tuesday, more than 1,000 earthquakes were registered (yes, this is not an error as 99% of these quakes could only be measured with instruments and cannot be felt by humans) .
The epicenters are moving slowly to the northeast.

A similar earthquake swarm was recorded three years ago.

By Thursday evening, dozens of seismographs recorded aftershocks. Below the full list of aftershocks as listed so far. Max. damage at the present magnitudes are cracks in walls, fallen objects and occasionally a collapsed chimney. This occurs mostly in older brick houses.

Earthquakes > magnitude 2, since the start of the activity (update at 11:07 on August 26)
UTC Time and date       Magn    GPS coord epicenter    Depth    Area / Country
2011-08-26 06:54:05     3.6     50.23°N    12.42°E     5     Vogtland (Germany) / Cheb (Czech)
2011-08-26 06:15:45     3.3     50.23°N    12.41°E     6     Vogtland (Germany) / Cheb (Czech)
2011-08-26 03:46:14     2.4     50.26°N    12.45°E     5     Vogtland (Germany) / Cheb (Czech)
2011-08-26 02:55:58     2.8     50.24°N    12.40°E     5     Vogtland (Germany) / Cheb (Czech)
2011-08-26 02:47:13     2.4     50.22°N    12.47°E     5     Vogtland (Germany) / Cheb (Czech)
2011-08-26 02:36:26     2.9     50.24°N    12.41°E     10     Vogtland (Germany) / Cheb (Czech)
2011-08-26 02:32:25     2.6     50.24°N    12.41°E     10     Vogtland (Germany) / Cheb (Czech)
2011-08-26 02:17:30     3.1     50.24°N    12.40°E     5     Vogtland (Germany) / Cheb (Czech)
2011-08-26 02:09:59     2.5     50.24°N    12.40°E     5     Vogtland (Germany) / Cheb (Czech)
2011-08-26 01:45:27     2.9     50.23°N    12.38°E     5     Vogtland (Germany) / Cheb (Czech)
2011-08-26 01:40:35     2.4     50.21°N    12.43°E     5     Vogtland (Germany) / Cheb (Czech)
2011-08-26 01:38:52     2.2     50.24°N    12.46°E     5     Vogtland (Germany) / Cheb (Czech)
2011-08-26 01:02:59     2.3     50.26°N    12.36°E     3     Vogtland (Germany) / Cheb (Czech)
2011-08-26 00:55:57     2.7     50.24°N    12.41°E     6     Vogtland (Germany) / Cheb (Czech)
2011-08-26 00:35:02     3.2     50.23°N    12.43°E     4     Vogtland (Germany) / Cheb (Czech)
2011-08-26 00:15:34     3.4     50.25°N    12.39°E     5     Vogtland (Germany) / Cheb (Czech)
2011-08-26 00:10:34     2.6     50.24°N    12.42°E     3     Vogtland (Germany) / Cheb (Czech)
2011-08-25 23:33:21     4.0     50.20°N    12.45°E     9     Vogtland (Germany) / Cheb (Czech)
2011-08-25 23:05:41     3.6     50.26°N    12.44°E     5     Vogtland (Germany) / Cheb (Czech)
2011-08-25 22:55:03     2.8     50.23°N    12.44°E     4     Vogtland (Germany) / Cheb (Czech)
2011-08-25 22:46:32     2.4     50.23°N    12.43°E     4     Vogtland (Germany) / Cheb (Czech)

"I Have Felt It" reports
MMI values (if indicated) after the text (III: Weak shaking, IV Light shaking, V Moderate shaking, VI Strong shaking, VII Very Strong shaking)
Morgenröthe, Deutschland  – Wir wurden mal wieder wach. Aber wir sind es ja bereits gewöhnt. – MMI IV
Markneukirchen, Deutschland – Light shaking indicated – MMI IV

EMSC "I Have Felt It" reports
Lichtentanne (Germany) (54 km N from epicenter) : 2 kurze Stöße, Abstand etwas mehr als 1 Sekunde, das Fachwerkhaus wackelte deutlich, TFT-Monitor schaukelte an den Ecken ca. 2 cm hin und her.

Most important Earthquake Data:
Magnitude : 4.0
UTC Time : 2011-08-25 23:33:21.9 UTC
Local time at epicenter :
Depth (Hypocenter) : 9 km
Geo-location(s) :
2 km SE Plesná
77 km S Gera

 

Links to important maps
Google satellite map of the area showing the kind of terrain the earthquake took place

QuakeSOS+ and QuakeSOS free are iPhone applications developed by Armand Vervaeck, the founder of Earthquake Report. The Application simplifies immediate group communication to friends and family members (with your exact GPS location) and is feeding the users with Earthquake Report news. The 0.99 US$ QuakeSOS+ version will support the activities of SOS Earthquakes.

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@QuakeMaps : earthquake-report.com news with mapping notifications of ALL earthquakes M 3.0 and higher from all over the world via EMSC and USGS. This account was created for our http://www.quake-maps.com website

I did feel it – Ik heb het gevoeld – Το έκανα αισθάνεται – Yo lo siento – 我的确感到了 – 私はそれを感じていました- Ich habe es gefühlt – Bunu hissediyorum yaptı – لم أشعر أنه

Country and location
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Tell us where in which location you felt the earthquake
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Your Email address might help us if we request for additional details about your experience. This field is NOT mandatory. It is up to you to give it or not.
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People :
Felt by persons at rest, on upper floors or favorably placed.
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People :
Felt indoors; hanging objects may swing, vibration similar to passing of light trucks, duration may be estimated, may not be recognized as an earthquake.
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People :
Generally noticed indoors but not outside. Light sleepers may be awakened. Vibration may be likened to the passing of heavy traffic, or to the jolt of a heavy object falling or striking the building.
Fittings :
Doors and windows rattle. Glassware and crockery rattle. Liquids in open vessels may be slightly disturbed. Standing motorcars may rock.
Structures :
Walls and frames of buildings, and partitions and suspended ceilings in commercial buildings, may be heard to creak.
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People :
Generally felt outside, and by almost everyone indoors. Most sleepers awakened. A few people alarmed.
Fittings :
Small unstable objects are displaced or upset. Some glassware and crockery may be broken. Hanging pictures knock against the wall. Open doors may swing. Cupboard doors secured by magnetic catches may open. Pendulum clocks stop, start, or change rate.
Structures :
Some large display windows cracked. A few earthenware toilet fixtures cracked.
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People Felt by all. People and animals alarmed. Many run outside. Difficulty experienced in walking steadily.
Fittings :
Objects fall from shelves. Pictures fall from walls. Some furniture moved on smooth floors, some unsecured free-standing fireplaces moved. Glassware and crockery broken. Very unstable furniture overturned. Small church and school bells ring. Appliances move on bench or table tops. Filing cabinets or "easy glide" drawers may open (or shut).
Structures :
Slight damage to buildings with low standard. Some stucco or cement plaster falls. Large display windows broken. Damage to a few weak domestic chimneys, some may fall.
Environment :
Trees and bushes shake, or are heard to rustle. Loose material may be dislodged from sloping ground, e.g. existing slides, talus slopes, shingle slides.
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People
General alarm. Difficulty experienced in standing. Noticed by motorcar drivers who may stop.
Fittings :
Large bells ring. Furniture moves on smooth floors, may move on carpeted floors. Substantial damage to fragile contents of buildings.
Structures :
Unreinforced stone and brick walls cracked. Low standard buildings cracked with some minor masonry falls. A few instances of damage to buildings of ordinary workmanship. Unbraced parapets, unbraced brick gables, and architectural ornaments fall. Roofing tiles, especially ridge tiles may be dislodged. Many unreinforced domestic chimneys damaged, often falling from roof-line. Water tanks Type I burst. A few instances of damage to brick veneers and plaster or cement-based linings. Unrestrained water cylinders (hot-water cylinders) may move and leak. Some common windows cracked. Suspended ceilings damaged.
Environment :
Water made turbid by stirred up mud. Small slides such as falls of sand and gravel banks, and small rock-falls from steep slopes and cuttings. Instances of settlement of unconsolidated or wet, or weak soils. Some fine cracks appear in sloping ground. A few instances of liquefaction (i.e. small water and sand ejections).
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People Alarm may approach panic. Steering of motorcars greatly affected. Structures : Low standard buildings heavily damaged, some collapse. ordinary workmanship buildings damaged, some with partial collapse. Reinforced masonry or concrete buildings damaged in some cases. A few instances of damage to buildings and bridges designed and built to resist earthquakes. Monuments and pre-1976 elevated tanks and factory stacks twisted or brought down. Some pre-1965 infill masonry panels damaged. A few post-1980 brick veneers damaged. Decayed timber piles of houses damaged. Houses not secured to foundations may move. Most unreinforced domestic chimneys damaged, some below roof-line, many brought down. Environment : Cracks appear on steep slopes and in wet ground. Small to moderate slides in roadside cuttings and unsupported excavations. Small water and sand ejections and localized lateral spreading adjacent to streams, canals, lakes, etc.
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Structures Many low standard buildings destroyed. Ordinary workmanship buildings heavily damaged, some collapse. Reinforced masonry or concrete buildings damaged, some with partial collapse. Buildings and bridges designed and built to resist earthquakes damaged in some cases, some with flexible frames seriously damaged. Damage or permanent distortion to some buildings and bridges, designed and built to normal use standards. Houses not secured to foundations shifted off. Brick veneers fall and expose frames. Environment : Cracking of ground conspicuous. Landsliding general on steep slopes. Liquefaction effects intensified and more widespread, with large lateral spreading and flow sliding adjacent to streams, canals, lakes, etc.
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