Earthquakes in Rotonda
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?
The most severe class: strong earthquakes are possible here and buildings follow the strictest anti-seismic rules.
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 = 0.262 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Rotonda plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Rotonda
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Rotonda over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2012VI25 October 2012
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Pollino earthquake (M5.3), epicentre 7 km away · observed at Piano dell'Incoronata
- 2012V-VI25 October 2012
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Pollino earthquake (M5.3), epicentre 7 km away
- 1998V-VI9 September 1998
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Appennino lucano earthquake (M5.5), epicentre 17 km away
- 1990IV-V5 May 1990
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Potentino earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 94 km away
- 1988VI13 April 1988
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Golfo di Taranto earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 76 km away
- 1988V-VI8 January 1988
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Pollino earthquake (M4.7), epicentre 13 km away
- 1982VI-VII21 March 1982
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Golfo di Policastro earthquake (M5.2), epicentre 28 km away
- 1980V-VI9 March 1980
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Pollino earthquake (M4.7), epicentre 10 km away
- 1894VII28 May 1894
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Pollino earthquake (M5.0), epicentre 7 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 50 km away
- 1831V2 January 1831
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Appennino lucano earthquake (M5.5), epicentre 28 km away
- 1708VII26 January 1708
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Pollino earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 4 km away
…and 14 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 sits above this source area: the deep structure where this area's earthquakes can originate.
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?
Rotonda sits in one of the most seismically active areas of its province: quakes are a familiar presence here, almost always light.
Each quake is attributed to the town closest to its epicentre: the numbers describe the area, not the municipal territory alone.
Context
Province of Potenza26 events · 30gBasilicata region31 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Rotonda?
Yes: today the Rotonda area (town and surroundings) recorded 2 quakes; the most recent 2 hours ago.
Is Rotonda a seismic area?
Rotonda is classified in seismic zone 1 by the Civil Protection. The most severe class: strong earthquakes are possible here and buildings follow the strictest anti-seismic rules.
What was the strongest earthquake near Rotonda?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Rotonda was magnitude 4.1, in 2016.
When was the last quake near Rotonda?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Rotonda was 2 hours ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)