Earthquakes in Atessa
Seismic activity in the surroundings
30 km radiusINGV catalogue epicentres of the last ~12 years, within the given radius from the town centre.
How seismic is this area?
Medium-low seismicity: strong quakes are rare, but not impossible.
Official Civil Protection classification (upd. 2025), used for building codes.
Hazard describes the long-term expected shaking: it is not a forecast. Technical value: ag = 0.119 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Atessa plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Atessa
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Atessa over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2002IV-V12 November 2002
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Molise earthquake (M4.6), epicentre 49 km away
- 2002IV-V1 November 2002
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Molise earthquake (M5.7), epicentre 48 km away
- 1984V11 May 1984
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Monti della Meta earthquake (M5.5), epicentre 66 km away
- 1984VI7 May 1984
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Monti della Meta earthquake (M5.9), epicentre 53 km away
- 1980V23 November 1980
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Irpinia-Basilicata earthquake (M6.8), epicentre 151 km away
- 1979V19 September 1979
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Valnerina earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 144 km away
- 1933VII26 September 1933
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Maiella earthquake (M5.9), epicentre 29 km away
- 1915VI13 January 1915
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Marsica earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 75 km away
- 1905V25 August 1905
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Valle Peligna earthquake (M5.2), epicentre 34 km away
- 1895F9 August 1895
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Adriatico centrale earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 73 km away
- 1881V-VI10 September 1881
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Chietino earthquake (M5.4), epicentre 23 km away
- 1706VII-VIII3 November 1706
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Maiella earthquake (M6.8), epicentre 30 km away
…and 12 more documented effects in this town's history.
Source: Italian Macroseismic Database DBMI15 (INGV, CC BY 4.0).
The great earthquakes in this area's history
Almost a thousand years of catalogues: the strongest documented events within ~50 km.
Source: Parametric Catalogue of Italian Earthquakes CPTI15 (INGV, CC BY 4.0).
The closest seismic structure
The town lies about 5 km from Shallow Abruzzo Citeriore Basal Thrust, one of the seismic structures mapped by INGV geologists.
Faults are mapped to build better and understand the territory: knowing them says nothing about when an earthquake will occur, which remains unpredictable. Source: DISS 3.3 (INGV, CC BY 4.0).
Area over time
Earthquake map
5 eventsEarthquakes in the area
Nearby towns
How does it compare with the surroundings?
Atessa is among the quietest towns of its province: very few epicentres are recorded here.
Each quake is attributed to the town closest to its epicentre: the numbers describe the area, not the municipal territory alone.
Context
Province of Chieti0 events · 30gAbruzzo region76 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Atessa?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Atessa area: the latest nearby dates back to 131 months ago.
Is Atessa a seismic area?
Atessa is classified in seismic zone 3 by the Civil Protection. Medium-low seismicity: strong quakes are rare, but not impossible.
What was the strongest earthquake near Atessa?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Atessa was magnitude 2.5, in 2016.
When was the last quake near Atessa?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Atessa was 10 months ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)