Earthquakes in Fossa
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 = 0.261 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Fossa plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Fossa
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Fossa over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2009VII-VIII6 April 2009
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Aquilano earthquake (M6.3), epicentre 2 km away
- 2009V6 April 2009
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Aquilano earthquake (M6.3), epicentre 2 km away · observed at Cerro
- 1998III-IV15 August 1998
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Reatino earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 37 km away
- 1997III-IV14 October 1997
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Valnerina earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 83 km away
- 1997III6 October 1997
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Appennino umbro-marchigiano earthquake (M5.5), epicentre 97 km away
- 1997IV26 September 1997
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Appennino umbro-marchigiano earthquake (M5.7), epicentre 95 km away
- 1996III-IV20 October 1996
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Appennino laziale-abruzzese earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 35 km away
- 1992III-IV25 August 1992
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Aquilano earthquake (M4.1), epicentre 17 km away
- 1961IV31 October 1961
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Reatino earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 38 km away
- 1958VI24 June 1958
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Aquilano earthquake (M5.0), epicentre 2 km away
- 1950VI5 September 1950
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Gran Sasso earthquake (M5.7), epicentre 28 km away
- 1915VIII13 January 1915
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Marsica earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 32 km away
…and 13 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 sits above this source area: the deep structure where this area's earthquakes can originate.
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?
Fossa records more quakes than the average of its province.
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 Fossa?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Fossa area: the latest nearby dates back to 10 days ago.
Is Fossa a seismic area?
Fossa 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 Fossa?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Fossa was magnitude 5.4, in 2017.
When was the last quake near Fossa?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Fossa was 2 days ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)