Comprehensive Dataset on 1688 Sannio–Matese Earthquake Environmental Impact

The 1688 Sannio–Matese earthquake that struck the province of Benevento in Southern Italy on June 5 had a profound impact on the region. This seismic event caused extensive damage and significant environmental effects with I=XI Mercalli-Cancani-Sieberg (MCS) and Mw=7.0. Our study addresses a critical knowledge gap regarding the earthquake's environmental effects by compiling a comprehensive dataset documenting the environmental seismic impact of the earthquake.
We present a dataset of 43 environmental effects of the earthquake (EEEs), organized in a table format. For each locality where an EEE has been documented, the dataset includes the following information:
• ID label: an identification number;
• Locality: the geographic location where the EEE occurred;
• Latitude and longitude: the geographic coordinates of EEE;
• Epicentral distance (km): the distance from the epicenter of the earthquake to the locality of the EEE;
• IMCS: the local macroseismic intensity assessed using the MCS (Mercal-li-Cancaci-Sieberg) scale from the CFTIMed catalogue;
• Earthquake's Environmental Effects (EEEs): the type of the environmental effect, such as ground cracks, gas exhalation, hydrological anomalies, liquefaction, surface faulting, slope movements and jumping stones;
• Class of EEEs: describes if the effect is primary (P) and/or secondary (S);
• Main source of information coeval with the 1688 earthquake: describes the observed effect provided by the information coeval with the earthquake;
• All contemporary and post-earthquake sources: contains all the consulted original literatures that reports the event;
• IESI: is the local macroseismic intensity assessed using the ESI-07 scale.

This study offers a critical reassessment of the earthquake's magnitude using environmental criteria, shedding light on the significance of environmental effect distribution for seismic hazard evaluations and land-use planning in the Sannio–Matese region. The results have the potential to improve seismic hazard models and guide strategies for infrastructure resilience, providing actionable data to mitigate risks in the Sannio-Matese area.