Earthquakes in Policoro
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 = 0.083 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Policoro plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Policoro
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Policoro 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 116 km away
- 1994NF7 January 1994
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Golfo di Taranto earthquake (M4.0), epicentre 55 km away
- 1991IV18 April 1991
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Piana di Metaponto earthquake (M4.1), epicentre 27 km away
- 1990V5 May 1990
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Potentino earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 99 km away
- 1988IV-V13 April 1988
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Golfo di Taranto earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 60 km away
- 1988IV8 January 1988
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Pollino earthquake (M4.7), epicentre 66 km away
- 1984NF7 May 1984
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Monti della Meta earthquake (M5.9), epicentre 274 km away
- 1980VI23 November 1980
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Irpinia-Basilicata earthquake (M6.8), epicentre 138 km away
- 1887III-IV3 December 1887
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Calabria settentrionale earthquake (M5.5), epicentre 80 km away
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 33 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
55 eventsEarthquakes in the area
Nearby towns
How does it compare with the surroundings?
Policoro 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 Matera5 events · 30gBasilicata region31 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Policoro?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Policoro area: the latest nearby dates back to 15 months ago.
Is Policoro a seismic area?
Policoro 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 Policoro?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Policoro was magnitude 2.7, in 2020.
When was the last quake near Policoro?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Policoro was 21 months ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)