Earthquakes in Montesilvano
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?
A zone where strong earthquakes are possible: new buildings follow strict anti-seismic criteria.
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 = 0.145 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Montesilvano plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Montesilvano
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Montesilvano over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2017F18 January 2017
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Aquilano earthquake (M5.7), epicentre 71 km away · observed at Montesilvano (Marina)
- 2004NF25 November 2004
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Adriatico centrale earthquake (M5.3), epicentre 126 km away · observed at Montesilvano (Marina)
- 2003III-IV29 March 2003
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Adriatico centrale earthquake (M5.4), epicentre 122 km away · observed at Montesilvano (Marina)
- 2002IV1 November 2002
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Molise earthquake (M5.7), epicentre 101 km away · observed at Montesilvano (Marina)
- 1997II26 September 1997
Very light: felt only by a few people at rest, on upper floors.
Appennino umbro-marchigiano earthquake (M5.7), epicentre 118 km away · observed at Montesilvano (Marina)
- 1990III-IV5 May 1990
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Potentino earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 235 km away · observed at Montesilvano (Marina)
- 1987III4 September 1987
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Costa Marchigiana earthquake (M4.7), epicentre 82 km away · observed at Montesilvano (Marina)
- 1987IV3 July 1987
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Costa Marchigiana earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 82 km away · observed at Montesilvano (Marina)
- 1984V7 May 1984
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Monti della Meta earthquake (M5.9), epicentre 91 km away · observed at Montesilvano Colle
- 1972III29 February 1972
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Gargano earthquake (M4.7), epicentre 117 km away · observed at Montesilvano (Marina)
- 1950V-VI5 September 1950
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Gran Sasso earthquake (M5.7), epicentre 57 km away · observed at Montesilvano (Marina)
- 1933IV26 September 1933
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Maiella earthquake (M5.9), epicentre 45 km away · observed at Montesilvano Colle
…and one more documented effect 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 17 km from Roseto degli Abruzzi, 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
7 eventsEarthquakes in the area
Nearby towns
How does it compare with the surroundings?
Montesilvano 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 Pescara1 events · 30gAbruzzo region76 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Montesilvano?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Montesilvano area: the latest nearby dates back to 23 months ago.
Is Montesilvano a seismic area?
Montesilvano is classified in seismic zone 2 by the Civil Protection. A zone where strong earthquakes are possible: new buildings follow strict anti-seismic criteria.
What was the strongest earthquake near Montesilvano?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Montesilvano was magnitude 2.7, in 2015.
When was the last quake near Montesilvano?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Montesilvano was 27 days ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)