'Earth shifted 15 centimetres in Italy quake'

The earth in the region of L’Aquila, the central Italian town hit by a major earthquake, shifted by up to 15 centimetres (six inches), the Italian space agency said, which compared interferogram satellite radar images taken before and after the quake. Pics: Italy Earthquake, April 6

The earth in the region of L’Aquila, the central Italian town hit by a major earthquake on Monday, shifted by up to 15 centimetres (six inches), the Italian space agency said on Saturday.

HT Image

It compared interferogram satellite radar images taken before and after the quake from the same angle which show movement of the earth with artificially coloured edges, each of which corresponds to a shift of 15 millimetres.

“The zone affected by the biggest shifts shows around 10 edges, or a displacement of the earth of around 15 centimetres,” the agency said on its website.

At least 292 people are known to have died in the earthquake.