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Scientists have identified a previously unknown seismic phenomenon likely responsible for Europe’s largest recorded earthquake that struck Lisbon in 1755,killing tens of thousands.
Researchers led by the University of Lisbon found that a piece of tectonic plate sinking in an area of the Atlantic Ocean under the Iberian Peninsula was responsible for the 8.6 magnitude megaquake.
While this phenomenon, called “lithosphere delamination”, is known to cause seismic events, it had previously only been documented on continents.
The findings, published this week in the journal Nature Geoscience, open up new perspectives on earthquake risk prediction in Europe.