Earthquakes in Cortale
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 = 0.261 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Cortale plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Cortale
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Cortale over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 1947VII11 May 1947
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Calabria centrale earthquake (M5.7), epicentre 22 km away
- 1929VI6 January 1929
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Catanzarese earthquake (M4.3), epicentre 3 km away
- 1928VI-VII7 March 1928
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Calabria centro-meridionale earthquake (M5.9), epicentre 44 km away
- 1908VII28 December 1908
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Stretto di Messina earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 99 km away
- 1905VIII8 September 1905
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Calabria centrale earthquake (M7.0), epicentre 36 km away
- 1894VI16 November 1894
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Calabria meridionale earthquake (M6.1), epicentre 76 km away
- 1791VII13 October 1791
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Calabria centrale earthquake (M6.1), epicentre 25 km away
- 1783X-XI28 March 1783
Catastrophic: very few buildings remain standing; landslides and ground cracks.
Calabria centrale earthquake (M7.0), epicentre 7 km away
- 1783VI7 February 1783
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Calabria centrale earthquake (M6.7), epicentre 33 km away
- 1783VI5 February 1783
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Calabria meridionale earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 71 km away
- 1638VIII-IX27 March 1638
Destructive: many buildings partly or fully collapse.
Calabria centrale earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 26 km away
- 1609VIII-IX20 July 1609
Destructive: many buildings partly or fully collapse.
Calabria centrale earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 11 km away
…and 12 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 4 km from Caraffa-Squillace Gulf, 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?
Cortale 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 Catanzaro12 events · 30gCalabria region93 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Cortale?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Cortale area: the latest nearby dates back to 2 months ago.
Is Cortale a seismic area?
Cortale 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 Cortale?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Cortale was magnitude 4.3, in 2022.
When was the last quake near Cortale?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Cortale was 19 days ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)