Earthquakes in Africo
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 = 0.213 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Africo plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Africo
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Africo over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 1978V11 March 1978
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Aspromonte earthquake (M5.2), epicentre 2 km away · observed at Africo (Africo Nuovo)
- 1908VIII28 December 1908
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Stretto di Messina earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 33 km away · observed at Casalnuovo
- 1908VIII28 December 1908
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Stretto di Messina earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 33 km away · observed at Africo [vecchio]
- 1907VIII-IX23 October 1907
Destructive: many buildings partly or fully collapse.
Aspromonte earthquake (M6.0), epicentre 6 km away · observed at Casalnuovo
- 1907VIII23 October 1907
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Aspromonte earthquake (M6.0), epicentre 6 km away · observed at Africo [vecchio]
- 1905VI8 September 1905
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Calabria centrale earthquake (M7.0), epicentre 83 km away · observed at Africo [vecchio]
- 1897VI28 May 1897
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Ionio earthquake (M5.5), epicentre 246 km away · observed at Africo (Africo Nuovo)
- 1894VII16 November 1894
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Calabria meridionale earthquake (M6.1), epicentre 30 km away · observed at Africo [vecchio]
- 1783VI28 March 1783
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Calabria centrale earthquake (M7.0), epicentre 88 km away · observed at Africo [vecchio]
- 1783VII-VIII7 February 1783
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Calabria centrale earthquake (M6.7), epicentre 59 km away · observed at Africo [vecchio]
- 1783VIII-IX5 February 1783
Destructive: many buildings partly or fully collapse.
Calabria meridionale earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 27 km away · observed at Africo [vecchio]
- 1783VIII5 February 1783
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Calabria meridionale earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 27 km away · observed at Casalnuovo
…and 11 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 9 km from Bagnara-Bovalino, 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?
Africo 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 Reggio Calabria20 events · 30gCalabria region94 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Africo?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Africo area: the latest nearby dates back to 9 days ago.
Is Africo a seismic area?
Africo 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 Africo?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Africo was magnitude 3.9, in 2020.
When was the last quake near Africo?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Africo was 9 days ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)