Earthquakes in Montalbano Jonico
Seismic activity in the surroundings
30 km radiusINGV catalogue epicentres of the last ~11 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 = 0.088 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Montalbano Jonico plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Montalbano Jonico
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Montalbano Jonico over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 1994NF5 January 1994
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Tirreno meridionale earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 174 km away
- 1991V26 May 1991
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Potentino earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 78 km away
- 1991IV-V18 April 1991
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Piana di Metaponto earthquake (M4.1), epicentre 24 km away
- 1990VI5 May 1990
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Potentino earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 87 km away
- 1988IV13 April 1988
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Golfo di Taranto earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 72 km away
- 1978IV24 September 1978
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Materano earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 40 km away
- 1932III30 March 1932
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Bassa Murgia earthquake (M4.5), epicentre 41 km away
- 1930VI23 July 1930
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Irpinia earthquake (M6.7), epicentre 137 km away
- 1908F26 March 1908
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Materano earthquake (M4.3), epicentre 27 km away
- 1905V8 September 1905
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Calabria centrale earthquake (M7.0), epicentre 172 km away
- 1894IV28 May 1894
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Pollino earthquake (M5.0), epicentre 57 km away
- 1857VII16 December 1857
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Basilicata earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 63 km away
…and 2 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 38 km from Amendolara, 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?
Montalbano Jonico 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 Matera11 events · 30gBasilicata region29 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Montalbano Jonico?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Montalbano Jonico area: the latest nearby dates back to 6 months ago.
Is Montalbano Jonico a seismic area?
Montalbano Jonico 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 Montalbano Jonico?
In the last ~11 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Montalbano Jonico was magnitude 3.5, in 2021.
When was the last quake near Montalbano Jonico?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Montalbano Jonico was 6 months ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)