Earthquakes in Bernalda
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 = 0.094 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Bernalda plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Bernalda
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Bernalda over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2006III-IV22 June 2006
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Costa calabra settentrionale earthquake (M4.7), epicentre 78 km away
- 1991V26 May 1991
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Potentino earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 84 km away
- 1991V18 April 1991
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Piana di Metaponto earthquake (M4.1), epicentre 6 km away
- 1990V5 May 1990
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Potentino earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 92 km away
- 1982III-IV21 March 1982
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Golfo di Policastro earthquake (M5.2), epicentre 105 km away
- 1980IV14 May 1980
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Alta Val d'Agri earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 79 km away
- 1978IV-V24 September 1978
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Materano earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 34 km away
- 1978IV24 September 1978
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Materano earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 34 km away · observed at Metaponto
- 1956IV-V9 January 1956
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Materano earthquake (M4.7), epicentre 36 km away
- 1905IV-V8 September 1905
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Calabria centrale earthquake (M7.0), epicentre 188 km away
- 1897III-IV28 May 1897
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Ionio earthquake (M5.5), epicentre 409 km away
- 1857VI-VII16 December 1857
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Basilicata earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 76 km away
…and 7 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 25 km from Baragiano-Palagianello, 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?
Bernalda is about average for its province in recorded quakes.
Each quake is attributed to the town closest to its epicentre: the numbers describe the area, not the municipal territory alone.
Context
Province of Matera5 events · 30gBasilicata region31 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Bernalda?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Bernalda area: the latest nearby dates back to 13 days ago.
Is Bernalda a seismic area?
Bernalda 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 Bernalda?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Bernalda was magnitude 2.7, in 2020.
When was the last quake near Bernalda?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Bernalda was 3 months ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)