Earthquakes in Vernasca
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 = 0.142 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Vernasca plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Vernasca
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Vernasca over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2005II18 April 2005
Very light: felt only by a few people at rest, on upper floors.
Valle del Trebbia earthquake (M4.0), epicentre 40 km away
- 2005NF13 April 2005
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Valle del Trebbia earthquake (M3.7), epicentre 43 km away
- 2000NF21 August 2000
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Monferrato earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 116 km away
- 1995I-II10 October 1995
Very light: felt only by a few people at rest, on upper floors.
Lunigiana earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 77 km away
- 1991NF31 October 1991
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Emilia occidentale earthquake (M4.3), epicentre 20 km away
- 1989NF3 October 1989
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Appennino parmense earthquake (M4.0), epicentre 40 km away
- 1986NF6 December 1986
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Ferrarese earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 127 km away
- 1983IV-V9 November 1983
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Parmense earthquake (M5.0), epicentre 33 km away
- 1983IV9 November 1983
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Parmense earthquake (M5.0), epicentre 33 km away · observed at Vigoleno
- 1980VI23 December 1980
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Piacentino earthquake (M4.6), epicentre 5 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 sits above this source area: the deep structure where this area's earthquakes can originate.
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?
Vernasca records more quakes than the average of its province.
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 · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Vernasca?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Vernasca area: the latest nearby dates back to 4 months ago.
Is Vernasca a seismic area?
Vernasca 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 Vernasca?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Vernasca was magnitude 4.4, in 2017.
When was the last quake near Vernasca?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Vernasca 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)