Italian seismologists cleared of manslaughter. In the early hours of the 6 April 2009 a magnitude-6.3 #earthquake struck the town of L’Aquila, killing more than 300 people. Months prior to the earthquake the area had been experiencing earthquake swarms, leaving the local community unsettled and wanting to know what the likelihood of a larger, more devastating event occurring might be. On 31st March an expert commission of seven members gathered to assess the available evidence and in a press conference conveyed the message that a large earthquake was not imminent. After a 13-month trial, in October 2012, the scientists on the expert commission were found guilty of the manslaughter of the 300 people who died during the earthquake. The overturning of the ruling is very good news for science, whilst at the same time highlighting how important it is that scientists effectively communicate uncertainty to the public. Read more on this story: egu.eu/6ZB3OV and egu.eu/71ZGON #LAquila #sciencecommunication #earthquake #hazards
Posted on: Tue, 11 Nov 2014 17:25:00 +0000
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