Earthquakes in San Nicola Arcella
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 = 0.149 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is San Nicola Arcella plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of San Nicola Arcella
The earthquakes that were actually felt in San Nicola Arcella over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2012IV25 October 2012
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Pollino earthquake (M5.3), epicentre 20 km away
- 1990V-VI5 May 1990
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Potentino earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 99 km away
- 1988NF13 April 1988
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Golfo di Taranto earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 95 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 4 km away
- 1980V23 November 1980
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Irpinia-Basilicata earthquake (M6.8), epicentre 118 km away
- 1857V16 December 1857
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Basilicata earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 56 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 18 km from Rimendiello-Mormanno, 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?
San Nicola Arcella 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 Cosenza40 events · 30gCalabria region93 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in San Nicola Arcella?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the San Nicola Arcella area: the latest nearby dates back to 6 days ago.
Is San Nicola Arcella a seismic area?
San Nicola Arcella 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 San Nicola Arcella?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of San Nicola Arcella was magnitude 5.4, in 2022.
When was the last quake near San Nicola Arcella?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of San Nicola Arcella was 59 minutes ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)