Province of Piacenza

Earthquakes in Bettola

2.2
light
LATEST QUAKE

4 km North-East of Lugagnano Val d'Arda

4 months ago · 8 May, 20:05
Depth 9 km

Seismic activity in the surroundings

30 km radius
24
days since the last quake nearby
342
quakes recorded since 2014
~12 days
on average, one quake every
4.0
The strongest within 30 km
3 km East of Cerignale
77 months ago · 16 Apr, 11:42

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.

Low
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 = 0.116 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).

Closest earthquake
Earthquake details
4
In the town
total on record
2
In the town
last 12 months
5
In the area
last 12 months
M4.0
Strongest ever
In the area

The “area” is Bettola plus nearby towns.

Last earthquake: 12 months ago · 2,999 inhabitants

The seismic history of Bettola

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

  1. 2005III-IV18 April 2005

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

    Valle del Trebbia earthquake (M4.0), epicentre 21 km away · observed at Bettola (San Giovanni)

  2. 2005III13 April 2005

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

    Valle del Trebbia earthquake (M3.7), epicentre 24 km away · observed at Bettola (San Giovanni)

  3. 1995III10 October 1995

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

    Lunigiana earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 81 km away · observed at Bettola (San Giovanni)

  4. 1983III9 November 1983

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

    Parmense earthquake (M5.0), epicentre 53 km away · observed at Bettola (San Giovanni)

  5. 1980V-VI23 December 1980

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

    Piacentino earthquake (M4.6), epicentre 15 km away · observed at Bettola (San Giovanni)

  6. 1954III16 July 1954

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

    Appennino piacentino earthquake (M3.7), epicentre 15 km away · observed at Bettola (San Giovanni)

  7. 1927IV-V28 October 1927

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

    Alta Val di Taro earthquake (M4.7), epicentre 29 km away · observed at Bettola (San Giovanni)

  8. 1920V7 September 1920

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

    Garfagnana earthquake (M6.5), epicentre 86 km away · observed at Bettola (San Giovanni)

  9. 1913III27 March 1913

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

    Val Trebbia earthquake (M4.2), epicentre 25 km away · observed at Bettola (San Giovanni)

  10. 1910V23 January 1910

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

    Piacentino earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 10 km away · observed at Bettola (San Giovanni)

  11. 1906III10 November 1906

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

    Alta Val di Taro earthquake (M4.2), epicentre 44 km away · observed at Bettola (San Giovanni)

  12. 1887IV-V23 February 1887

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

    Liguria occidentale earthquake (M6.3), epicentre 162 km away · observed at Bettola (San Giovanni)

…and 6 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.

18346.0
Val di Taro-Lunigiana earthquake
14 February 1834 · 44 km from here
IXDestructive: many buildings partly or fully collapse.
18285.7
Oltrepò Pavese earthquake
9 October 1828 · 44 km from here
VIIIRuinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
15455.4
Val di Taro earthquake
9 June 1545 · 39 km from here
VII-VIIIRuinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
19515.2
Lodigiano earthquake
15 May 1951 · 49 km from here
VI-VIIVery strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.

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

The closest seismic structure

San Giorgio Piacentino-Fornovo di Taro

The town lies about 10 km from San Giorgio Piacentino-Fornovo di Taro, one of the seismic structures mapped by INGV geologists.

estimated maximum magnitude 7.2between 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

May 20261eventmax 2.2
Oct
Jan '25
Apr
Jul
Oct
Jan '26
Apr
Jul

Earthquake map

60 events
Magnitude:lightweakmoderatestrong

Earthquakes in the area

2.2
4 months ago
8 May, 20:05
1.7
3 km North-East of Ponte dell'Olio
13 km North-East · 10 km
6 months ago
8 Mar, 16:26
1.6
3 km South-East of Bobbio
10 km West · 11 km
6 months ago
3 Mar, 05:06
2.1
3 km South-West of Bettola
3 km South-West · 8 km
12 months ago
28 Aug, 04:13
2.5
4 km South of Bettola
4 km South · 6 km
12 months ago
27 Aug, 12:23
3.6
3 km South of Gropparello
9 km East · 25 km
16 months ago
4 May, 08:29
2.2
3 km North-East of Piozzano
18 km North-West · 22 km
16 months ago
2 May, 11:17
2.6
4 km West of Gazzola
19 km North-West · 23 km
16 months ago
28 Apr, 16:21
2.5
17 months ago
31 Mar, 19:08
3.2
17 months ago
31 Mar, 18:48

Nearby towns

How does it compare with the surroundings?

Bettola records more quakes than the average of its province.

quietermore active
More epicentres than 67% of the 46 towns in the province.
Bettola4
Nearby towns average12

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

Context

Province of Piacenza0 events · 30gEmilia-Romagna region45 events · 30g
ISTAT code: 033004

Frequently asked questions

Were there earthquakes today in Bettola?

No, no quakes were recorded today in the Bettola area: the latest nearby dates back to 4 months ago.

Is Bettola a seismic area?

Bettola 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 Bettola?

In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Bettola was magnitude 4.0, in 2020.

When was the last quake near Bettola?

The last quake recorded within 30 km of Bettola was 25 days 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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