Earthquakes in Zocca
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?
Medium-low seismicity: strong quakes are rare, but not impossible.
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 = 0.159 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Zocca plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Zocca
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Zocca over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2003III-IV14 September 2003
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Appennino bolognese earthquake (M5.2), epicentre 32 km away
- 1999V7 July 1999
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Frignano earthquake (M4.7), epicentre 14 km away
- 1996IV-V15 October 1996
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Pianura emiliana earthquake (M5.4), epicentre 55 km away
- 1995IV24 August 1995
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Appennino pistoiese earthquake (M4.5), epicentre 25 km away
- 1957VI27 August 1957
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Appennino modenese earthquake (M4.7), epicentre 4 km away
- 1951IV29 October 1951
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Valle del Panaro earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 11 km away
- 1929V11 May 1929
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Bolognese earthquake (M5.3), epicentre 16 km away
- 1914V27 October 1914
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Lucchesia earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 59 km away
- 1904V25 February 1904
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Reggiano earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 32 km away
- 1889IV8 March 1889
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Bolognese earthquake (M4.5), epicentre 25 km away
- 1869VII25 June 1869
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Appennino bolognese earthquake (M5.4), epicentre 10 km away
- 1864VI-VII15 March 1864
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Zocca earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 5 km away
…and 19 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 7 km from Castelvetro di Modena-Castel San Pietro Terme, 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?
Zocca 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 Modena8 events · 30gEmilia-Romagna region45 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Zocca?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Zocca area: the latest nearby dates back to 9 hours ago.
Is Zocca a seismic area?
Zocca 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 Zocca?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Zocca was magnitude 4.3, in 2015.
When was the last quake near Zocca?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Zocca was 9 hours ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)