Europe has a long and complex history of seismic activity. The convergence of the Eurasian and African plates across the Mediterranean has resulted in a wide zone of collision tectonics and the formation of smaller microplates along the plate boundary zone. Seismic activity generally decreases northward away from the Mediterranean region through the Alps.  North of the Alps, within the interior of the Eurasian plate, earthquakes are associated with several slowly deforming rift zones created by extensional forces.   

Monaco’s Seismic Risk

Seismicity is low to moderate in the region around Monaco. Due to Monaco’s tiny size, the majority of its earthquake risk comes from events that originate outside of the country. In the past, a number of damaging earthquakes have struck the Alpes Maritimes region of southeastern France and northeastern Italy. In 1564, an earthquake struck inland near the town of Roquebilliere. In 1887, an estimated magnitude 6.5 earthquake occurred off the Ligurian Coast of Italy and reached intensity X on the Mercalli-Cancani-Sieberg (MCS) intensity scale. Both events caused many casualties in the region.

Underwriting and managing earthquake insurance in this environment is a complex undertaking.  Released in 2007, the RMS® Europe Earthquake Model helps insurers and reinsurers in this task by quantifying risk across various regions and a wide variety of construction types.

Model Highlights

	Stochastic database of earthquake events based on long recorded history of earthquakes in Europe
	Variable resolution grid (VRG) soil type, liquefaction, and landslide database covering all of Italy
	RMS third generation earthquake modeling incorporating spectral response approach to building damage calculations
	Building vulnerability curves developed from work of local experts and RMS research
	Regional differentiation of building vulnerability and building inventory

Geographic Scope

Principality of Monaco

Exposure Data Resolution

Data input supported at the CRESTA zone level of resolution

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