Province of Modena

Earthquakes in Pavullo nel Frignano

2.2
light
LATEST QUAKE

2 km South-West of Zocca

7 hours ago · 24 Aug, 23:59
Depth 27 km

Seismic activity in the surroundings

30 km radius
Today
days since the last quake nearby
3,208
quakes recorded since 2014
~1 days
on average, one quake every
3.9
The strongest within 30 km
4 km North-East of Villa Minozzo
118 months ago · 9 Dec, 08:21

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 = 0.159 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).

Closest earthquake
Earthquake details
74
In the town
total on record
5
In the town
last 12 months
57
In the area
last 12 months
M3.8
Strongest ever
In the area

The “area” is Pavullo nel Frignano plus nearby towns.

Last earthquake: 4 months ago · 17,198 inhabitants

The seismic history of Pavullo nel Frignano

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

  1. 2000IV3 October 2000

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

    Frignano earthquake (M4.2), epicentre 15 km away

  2. 1999V-VI7 July 1999

    Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.

    Frignano earthquake (M4.7), epicentre 5 km away

  3. 1997IV-V24 December 1997

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

    Garfagnana earthquake (M4.3), epicentre 34 km away

  4. 1996IV-V15 October 1996

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

    Pianura emiliana earthquake (M5.4), epicentre 53 km away

  5. 1995IV-V24 August 1995

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

    Appennino pistoiese earthquake (M4.5), epicentre 25 km away

  6. 1988V8 February 1988

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

    Frignano earthquake (M4.3), epicentre 28 km away

  7. 1937VII10 December 1937

    Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.

    Frignano earthquake (M5.3), epicentre 1 km away

  8. 1920VII7 September 1920

    Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.

    Garfagnana earthquake (M6.5), epicentre 48 km away · observed at Verica

  9. 1920VI7 September 1920

    Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.

    Garfagnana earthquake (M6.5), epicentre 48 km away

  10. 1914V27 October 1914

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

    Lucchesia earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 51 km away

  11. 1908IV-V2 June 1908

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

    Frignano earthquake (M4.5), epicentre 8 km away

  12. 1904VI10 June 1904

    Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.

    Frignano earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 15 km away

…and 43 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.

19206.5
Garfagnana earthquake
7 September 1920 · 48 km from here
XCompletely destructive: most buildings are destroyed.
15016.0
Modenese earthquake
5 June 1501 · 20 km from here
IXDestructive: many buildings partly or fully collapse.
17405.6
Garfagnana earthquake
6 March 1740 · 41 km from here
VIIIRuinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
15055.6
Bolognese earthquake
3 January 1505 · 36 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

Langhirano-Sassuolo

The town lies about 11 km from Langhirano-Sassuolo, one of the seismic structures mapped by INGV geologists.

estimated maximum magnitude 6.8between 2 and 8 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 20267eventsmax 2.2
Oct
Jan '25
Apr
Jul
Oct
Jan '26
Apr
Jul

Earthquake map

60 events
Magnitude:lightweakmoderatestrong

Earthquakes in the area

2.2
2 km South-West of Zocca
11 km East · 27 km
7 hours ago
24 Aug, 23:59
2.1
4 km East of Zocca
16 km East · 23 km
22 hours ago
24 Aug, 09:30
1.2
3 km North of Zocca
14 km East · 29 km
yesterday
24 Aug, 07:33
1.8
1 km South-West of Zocca
12 km East · 24 km
yesterday
24 Aug, 02:15
0.9
6 km West of Fanano
19 km South-West · 19 km
12 days ago
12 Aug, 21:14
2.1
14 days ago
11 Aug, 11:16
0.7
4 km East of Gaggio Montano
19 km South-East · 20 km
22 days ago
3 Aug, 01:09
1.8
3 km South of Montefiorino
19 km West · 9 km
26 days ago
30 Jul, 13:28
1.3
6 km North-West of Riolunato
20 km West · 10 km
1 month ago
24 Jul, 13:42
2.0
0 km East of Lama Mocogno
12 km West · 9 km
1 month ago
20 Jul, 06:38

Nearby towns

How does it compare with the surroundings?

Pavullo nel Frignano sits in one of the most seismically active areas of its province: quakes are a familiar presence here, almost always light.

quietermore active
More epicentres than 85% of the 47 towns in the province.
Pavullo nel Frignano74
Nearby towns average175

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

Context

Province of Modena8 events · 30gEmilia-Romagna region45 events · 30g
ISTAT code: 036030

Frequently asked questions

Were there earthquakes today in Pavullo nel Frignano?

No, no quakes were recorded today in the Pavullo nel Frignano area: the latest nearby dates back to 7 hours ago.

Is Pavullo nel Frignano a seismic area?

Pavullo nel Frignano 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 Pavullo nel Frignano?

In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Pavullo nel Frignano was magnitude 3.9, in 2016.

When was the last quake near Pavullo nel Frignano?

The last quake recorded within 30 km of Pavullo nel Frignano was 7 hours ago.

Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.

Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)

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