Earthquakes in Grottole
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 = 0.157 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Grottole plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Grottole
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Grottole over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 1996III3 April 1996
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Irpinia earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 77 km away
- 1991V-VI26 May 1991
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Potentino earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 46 km away
- 1991IV18 April 1991
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Piana di Metaponto earthquake (M4.1), epicentre 45 km away
- 1990V-VI28 August 1990
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Potentino earthquake (M4.2), epicentre 38 km away
- 1990VI-VII5 May 1990
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Potentino earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 54 km away
- 1980VI-VII23 November 1980
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Irpinia-Basilicata earthquake (M6.8), epicentre 94 km away
- 1978V-VI24 September 1978
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Materano earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 10 km away
- 1956V-VI9 January 1956
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Materano earthquake (M4.7), epicentre 8 km away
- 1930V-VI23 July 1930
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Irpinia earthquake (M6.7), epicentre 100 km away
- 1887IV3 December 1887
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Calabria settentrionale earthquake (M5.5), epicentre 121 km away
- 1885VI-VII24 December 1885
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Basilicata earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 13 km away
- 1857VIII16 December 1857
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Basilicata earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 55 km away
…and 4 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 1 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?
Grottole 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 Matera5 events · 30gBasilicata region31 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Grottole?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Grottole area: the latest nearby dates back to 13 days ago.
Is Grottole a seismic area?
Grottole 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 Grottole?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Grottole was magnitude 3.5, in 2021.
When was the last quake near Grottole?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Grottole was 13 days ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)