Rumours related to the 2012 Emilia seismic sequence

In the aftermath of an earthquake, pseudo-scientific, scaremongering rumors spread very quickly and with greater effect than correct scientific information. The aim of this article is to describe the authors’ observations and examine how rumors linked to seismic shocks spread in the community following the strong 2012 seismic sequence in Emilia (northern Italy). During the two mainshocks, 27 people lost their lives, over 400 persons were injured and 14,000 families were evacuated. In the weeks following the mainshocks, in collaboration with other universities and research groups, we carried out field surveys, organized interviews and public meetings with the local population and held direct contacts with journalists and reporters. The mainshocks of this sequence (ML = 5.9 on 20th May and ML = 5.8 on 29th May) found the local population culturally and psychologically unprepared. As a consequence, there were attitudes of suspicion and lack of trust towards the authorities and the scientific community. Many people considered these earthquakes induced by human activities such as exploitation of subsurface resources or fracking. Moreover, in spite of the experts explaining in all possible ways the origin of earthquakes and emphasizing their unpredictability, the population has given credit to various groundless alarms on the basis of gas emissions, bubbling water and ground fractures. In order to effectively counter the spreading of wrong convictions about earthquakes, a constant, updated dialog must be kept up between the population and the scientific community.