Earthquakes in Palombaro
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?
The most severe class: strong earthquakes are possible here and buildings follow the strictest anti-seismic rules.
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 = 0.172 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Palombaro plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Palombaro
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Palombaro over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2003NF1 June 2003
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Molise earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 72 km away
- 2002IV1 November 2002
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Molise earthquake (M5.7), epicentre 67 km away
- 1997III26 September 1997
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Appennino umbro-marchigiano earthquake (M5.7), epicentre 147 km away
- 1992III16 July 1992
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Chietino earthquake (M4.2), epicentre 20 km away
- 1992IV18 February 1992
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Chietino earthquake (M4.1), epicentre 29 km away
- 1990NF5 May 1990
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Potentino earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 200 km away
- 1984V-VI7 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
- 1980IV23 November 1980
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Irpinia-Basilicata earthquake (M6.8), epicentre 168 km away
- 1979III19 September 1979
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Valnerina earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 124 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 12 km away
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 1 km from Deep 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
21 eventsEarthquakes in the area
Nearby towns
How does it compare with the surroundings?
Palombaro 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 Palombaro?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Palombaro area: the latest nearby dates back to 9 days ago.
Is Palombaro a seismic area?
Palombaro is classified in seismic zone 1 by the Civil Protection. The most severe class: strong earthquakes are possible here and buildings follow the strictest anti-seismic rules.
What was the strongest earthquake near Palombaro?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Palombaro was magnitude 3.2, in 2017.
When was the last quake near Palombaro?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Palombaro was 9 days ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)