Province of Bologna

Earthquakes in Sala Bolognese

2.2
light
LATEST QUAKE

1 km South-East of Terre del Reno

13 months ago · 4 Aug, 07:56
Depth 10 km

Seismic activity in the surroundings

30 km radius
19
days since the last quake nearby
154
quakes recorded since 2014
~28 days
on average, one quake every
3.5
The strongest within 30 km
4 km East of San Felice sul Panaro
14 months ago · 9 Jul, 09:43

INGV catalogue epicentres of the last ~12 years, within the given radius from the town centre.

How seismic is this area?

Zone3
Seismic zone 3

Medium-low seismicity: strong quakes are rare, but not impossible.

Official Civil Protection classification (upd. 2025), used for building codes.

Medium
Expected shaking, compared with the other Italian municipalities (INGV MPS04 model)

Hazard describes the long-term expected shaking: it is not a forecast. Technical value: ag = 0.163 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).

Closest earthquake
Earthquake details
1
In the town
total on record
0
In the town
last 12 months
0
In the area
last 12 months
M3.2
Strongest ever
In the area

The “area” is Sala Bolognese plus nearby towns.

Last earthquake: 39 months ago · 8,245 inhabitants

The seismic history of Sala Bolognese

The earthquakes that were actually felt in Sala Bolognese over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).

  1. 2012V29 May 2012

    Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.

    Pianura emiliana earthquake (M5.9), epicentre 29 km away

  2. 2002NF18 June 2002

    Imperceptible: only instruments record it.

    Frignano earthquake (M4.3), epicentre 55 km away

  3. 2000III-IV18 June 2000

    Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.

    Pianura emiliana earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 46 km away

  4. 1992NF17 April 1992

    Imperceptible: only instruments record it.

    Appennino bolognese earthquake (M4.1), epicentre 31 km away

  5. 1983IV9 November 1983

    Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.

    Parmense earthquake (M5.0), epicentre 82 km away

  6. 1972III25 October 1972

    Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.

    Appennino settentrionale earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 114 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.

20126.1
Pianura emiliana earthquake
20 May 2012 · 29 km from here
VIIVery strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
15016.0
Modenese earthquake
5 June 1501 · 37 km from here
IXDestructive: many buildings partly or fully collapse.
20125.9
Pianura emiliana earthquake
29 May 2012 · 29 km from here
VIIIRuinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
15055.6
Bolognese earthquake
3 January 1505 · 15 km from here
VIIIRuinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.

Source: Parametric Catalogue of Italian Earthquakes CPTI15 (INGV, CC BY 4.0).

The closest seismic structure

Carpi-Poggio Renatico

The town lies about 9 km from Carpi-Poggio Renatico, one of the seismic structures mapped by INGV geologists.

estimated maximum magnitude 6.9between 2 and 10 km deep

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

August 20251eventmax 2.2
Oct
Jan '25
Apr
Jul
Oct
Jan '26
Apr
Jul

Earthquake map

20 events
Magnitude:lightweakmoderatestrong

Earthquakes in the area

2.2
1 km South-East of Terre del Reno
20 km North-East · 10 km
13 months ago
4 Aug, 07:56
2.5
5 km North of Terre del Reno
25 km North-East · 4 km
15 months ago
19 May, 14:41
2.2
5 km South-West of Sala Bolognese
5 km South-West · 21 km
39 months ago
21 Jun, 07:56
2.1
4 km West of Cento
15 km North · 38 km
39 months ago
29 May, 03:50
1.8
6 km South of Bologna
21 km South · 25 km
41 months ago
25 Apr, 00:19
1.8
4 km North-East of Terre del Reno
25 km North-East · 3 km
48 months ago
22 Sept, 08:50
1.6
2 km North of Galliera
18 km North-East · 7 km
53 months ago
27 Apr, 21:45
2.0
5 km South-West of Nonantola
21 km West · 30 km
63 months ago
8 Jun, 12:49
1.9
8 km East of Castenaso
26 km South-East · 52 km
65 months ago
23 Apr, 20:30
1.9
1 km West of Zola Predosa
17 km South-West · 30 km
104 months ago
16 Feb, 13:27

Nearby towns

How does it compare with the surroundings?

Sala Bolognese is quieter than the average of its province.

quietermore active
More epicentres than 31% of the 55 towns in the province.
Sala Bolognese1
Nearby towns average1.6

Each quake is attributed to the town closest to its epicentre: the numbers describe the area, not the municipal territory alone.

Context

Province of Bologna16 events · 30gEmilia-Romagna region45 events · 30g
ISTAT code: 037050

Frequently asked questions

Were there earthquakes today in Sala Bolognese?

No, no quakes were recorded today in the Sala Bolognese area: the latest nearby dates back to 13 months ago.

Is Sala Bolognese a seismic area?

Sala Bolognese is classified in seismic zone 3 by the Civil Protection. Medium-low seismicity: strong quakes are rare, but not impossible.

What was the strongest earthquake near Sala Bolognese?

In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Sala Bolognese was magnitude 3.5, in 2025.

When was the last quake near Sala Bolognese?

The last quake recorded within 30 km of Sala Bolognese 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)

We use cookies to analyse site traffic and improve your experience.

Privacy PolicyCookie Policy