Province of Imperia

Earthquakes in Riva Ligure

0.4
very light
LATEST QUAKE

1 km North-East of Ceriana

6 days ago · 19 Aug, 06:31
Depth 9 km

Seismic activity in the surroundings

30 km radius
6
days since the last quake nearby
310
quakes recorded since 2014
~14 days
on average, one quake every
3.2
The strongest within 30 km
18 km South-East of Bordighera
21 months ago · 16 Dec, 22:22

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

How seismic is this area?

Zone2
Seismic zone 2

A zone where strong earthquakes are possible: new buildings follow strict anti-seismic criteria.

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 = 0.153 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).

Closest earthquake
Earthquake details
18
In the town
total on record
2
In the town
last 12 months
15
In the area
last 12 months
M3.2
Strongest ever
In the area

The “area” is Riva Ligure plus nearby towns.

Last earthquake: 2 months ago · 2,861 inhabitants

The seismic history of Riva Ligure

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

  1. 1995IV21 April 1995

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

    Liguria occidentale earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 24 km away

  2. 1993NF17 July 1993

    Imperceptible: only instruments record it.

    Liguria occidentale earthquake (M4.3), epicentre 50 km away

  3. 1989III-IV26 December 1989

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

    Mar Ligure earthquake (M4.5), epicentre 45 km away

  4. 1970III-IV31 December 1970

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

    Liguria occidentale earthquake (M4.6), epicentre 40 km away

  5. 1957III8 March 1957

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

    Liguria occidentale earthquake (M3.8), epicentre 8 km away

  6. 1887VII-VIII23 February 1887

    Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.

    Liguria occidentale earthquake (M6.3), epicentre 11 km away

  7. 1831VII26 May 1831

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

    Liguria occidentale earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 3 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.

18876.3
Liguria occidentale earthquake
23 February 1887 · 11 km from here
XCompletely destructive: most buildings are destroyed.
16185.6
Alpes Niçoises earthquake
18 January 1618 · 47 km from here
VIIIRuinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
18315.6
Liguria occidentale earthquake
26 May 1831 · 3 km from here
VIII-IXDestructive: many buildings partly or fully collapse.
18185.3
Liguria occidentale earthquake
23 February 1818 · 16 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

Imperia Promontory

The town lies about 7 km from Imperia Promontory, one of the seismic structures mapped by INGV geologists.

estimated maximum magnitude 7.4between 3 and 15 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 20261eventmax 0.4
Oct
Jan '25
Apr
Jul
Oct
Jan '26
Apr
Jul

Earthquake map

60 events
Magnitude:lightweakmoderatestrong

Earthquakes in the area

0.4
1 km North-East of Ceriana
9 km North-West · 9 km
6 days ago
19 Aug, 06:31
1.7
Mare di Corsica [Mare]
44 km South · 32 km
1 month ago
23 Jul, 17:05
1.7
Mare di Corsica [Mare]
44 km South · 32 km
1 month ago
23 Jul, 17:05
1.1
16 km South of Riva Ligure
16 km South · 10 km
2 months ago
11 Jul, 09:08
1.3
12 km South-East of Bordighera
16 km South-West · 9 km
2 months ago
4 Jul, 19:45
1.1
15 km South of Riva Ligure
15 km South · 9 km
3 months ago
10 Jun, 08:34
1.2
16 km South-East of Costarainera
19 km South-East · 10 km
3 months ago
19 May, 21:08
1.3
1 km East of Bajardo
13 km North-West · 10 km
4 months ago
2 May, 08:44
1.0
1 km West of Bordighera
16 km West · 10 km
4 months ago
24 Apr, 03:27
2.5
0 km North of Taggia
6 km North-West · 9 km
5 months ago
21 Mar, 11:07

Nearby towns

How does it compare with the surroundings?

Riva Ligure 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 66 towns in the province.
Riva Ligure18
Nearby towns average11

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

Context

Province of Imperia5 events · 30gLiguria region13 events · 30g
ISTAT code: 008050

Frequently asked questions

Were there earthquakes today in Riva Ligure?

No, no quakes were recorded today in the Riva Ligure area: the latest nearby dates back to 6 days ago.

Is Riva Ligure a seismic area?

Riva Ligure is classified in seismic zone 2 by the Civil Protection. A zone where strong earthquakes are possible: new buildings follow strict anti-seismic criteria.

What was the strongest earthquake near Riva Ligure?

In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Riva Ligure was magnitude 3.2, in 2024.

When was the last quake near Riva Ligure?

The last quake recorded within 30 km of Riva Ligure was 6 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