Earthquakes in Balsorano
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 = 0.230 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Balsorano plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Balsorano
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Balsorano over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 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 42 km away · observed at Balsorano (Nuovo)
- 1980VI14 June 1980
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Marsica earthquake (M5.0), epicentre 16 km away · observed at Balsorano (Nuovo)
- 1933V26 September 1933
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Maiella earthquake (M5.9), epicentre 53 km away · observed at Balsorano (Nuovo)
- 1924V-VI28 November 1924
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Balsorano earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 3 km away · observed at Balsorano (Nuovo)
- 1922VI29 December 1922
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Val Roveto earthquake (M5.2), epicentre 4 km away · observed at Balsorano (Nuovo)
- 1916V26 January 1916
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Sorano earthquake (M4.7), epicentre 17 km away · observed at Balsorano Vecchio
- 1915IX-X13 January 1915
Completely destructive: most buildings are destroyed.
Marsica earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 25 km away · observed at Ridotti
- 1915IX-X13 January 1915
Completely destructive: most buildings are destroyed.
Marsica earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 25 km away · observed at Balsorano Vecchio
- 1915IX-X13 January 1915
Completely destructive: most buildings are destroyed.
Marsica earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 25 km away · observed at Collecastagno
- 1913IV-V3 January 1913
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Marsica earthquake (M4.5), epicentre 10 km away · observed at Balsorano Vecchio
- 1654VIII24 July 1654
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Sorano earthquake (M6.3), epicentre 19 km away · observed at Balsorano Vecchio
- 1349IX-X9 September 1349
Completely destructive: most buildings are destroyed.
Lazio-Molise earthquake (M6.8), epicentre 40 km away · observed at Balsorano Vecchio
…and 25 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 9 km from Salto Lake-Ovindoli-Barrea, 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
60 eventsEarthquakes in the area
Nearby towns
How does it compare with the surroundings?
Balsorano sits in one of the most seismically active areas of its province: quakes are a familiar presence here, almost always light.
Each quake is attributed to the town closest to its epicentre: the numbers describe the area, not the municipal territory alone.
Context
Province of L'Aquila48 events · 30gAbruzzo region76 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Balsorano?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Balsorano area: the latest nearby dates back to 28 days ago.
Is Balsorano a seismic area?
Balsorano 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 Balsorano?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Balsorano was magnitude 4.4, in 2019.
When was the last quake near Balsorano?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Balsorano was 26 minutes ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)