LOS ANGELES (AP) – A strong earthquake rocks Italy, flattening towns and killing scores of people. An even bigger quake hits Myanmar the same day, killing a few people and shattering ancient Buddhist pagodas.
How can a larger jolt cause far less damage? A quake’s destructive power depends not only on its strength, but also on location, distance from the epicenter and depth.
Quakes can strike near the surface or deep within the Earth. Most quakes occur at shallow depths, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Italy’s quake was very shallow, originating between 2 1/2 miles (4 kilometers) and 6 miles (10 kilometers) underground, according to Italy’s geological service and the USGS. The magnitude measurements also varied slightly – between magnitude 6 and 6.2.
By contrast, the 6.8 quake in Myanmar was deeper – at 52 miles (84 kilometers), which is considered an intermediate depth.