Earthquakes in Pompei
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 = 0.127 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Pompei plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Pompei
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Pompei over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2005NF21 May 2005
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Area Nolana earthquake (M4.1), epicentre 27 km away
- 2002IV1 November 2002
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Molise earthquake (M5.7), epicentre 114 km away
- 1999IV9 October 1999
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Area vesuviana earthquake (M3.2), epicentre 11 km away
- 1996IV3 April 1996
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Irpinia earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 81 km away
- 1991III26 May 1991
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Potentino earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 112 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 105 km away
- 1982III21 March 1982
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Golfo di Policastro earthquake (M5.2), epicentre 146 km away
- 1980VI-VII23 November 1980
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Irpinia-Basilicata earthquake (M6.8), epicentre 67 km away
- 1930VII23 July 1930
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Irpinia earthquake (M6.7), epicentre 77 km away
- 1930V27 April 1930
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Salernitano earthquake (M5.0), epicentre 17 km away
- 1910IV-V7 June 1910
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Irpinia-Basilicata earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 79 km away
- 1456VI5 December 1456
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Appennino centro-meridionale earthquake (M7.2), epicentre 64 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 48 km from Ischia, 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?
Pompei 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 Napoli112 events · 30gCampania region129 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Pompei?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Pompei area: the latest nearby dates back to 4 days ago.
Is Pompei a seismic area?
Pompei 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 Pompei?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Pompei was magnitude 4.6, in 2025.
When was the last quake near Pompei?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Pompei was 4 days ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)