Earthquakes in the Alps

Did you know that a look into the deep structure of the Alps reveals a lot about the distribution of earthquakes in Switzerland? Snapshot 05 explains why there are an average of two earthquakes per day in Switzerland and what role the formation of the Alps plays in this context. It lends some insight into the geological history of the Alps and reports on the largest historical earthquakes in the Alpine region. Seismic tomography illuminating the deep structure of the Alpine orogen provides the opportunity to understand the tectonic forces that shape mountains and cause earthquakes.