Emilia (Italy) M5.9 earthquake on 20 May 2012: an unusual pattern of liquefaction

Abstract

On 20 May 2012, an M5.9 earthquake occurred in the Emilia region (northern Italy). The earthquake triggered signi cant ground failures owing to extensive liquefaction phenomena. Although the shaking was relatively moderate, an area lying about 17 km from the epicentre was strongly affected by the phenomenon and an exceptional amount of sand and water owed up from the ground.The following is an overview of the phenomenon along with preliminary results from seismological and geotechnical analyses.