Earth's crust is 'unzipping' beneath Italy - and that could explain most of the earthquakes in the region

The peeling away of Earth's crust beneath Italy may explain a lot of the seismic activity in the mountains that run along the spine of the country.

By Stephanie Pappas Edited by Kimberly Hickok , Tia Ghose Published 23 September 2026 In News When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here's how it works .

Seismic activity in the Apennine Mountains is tied to the crust unzipping beneath Italy. (Image credit: Paolo Corsetti via Getty Images) Copy link Facebook X Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter The crust under Italy is "unzipping" and falling away into the mantle, new research finds.