Earthquakes in Merate
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 = 0.065 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Merate plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Merate
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Merate over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2004IV-V24 November 2004
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Garda occidentale earthquake (M5.0), epicentre 86 km away
- 2003III-IV11 April 2003
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Valle Scrivia earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 114 km away · observed at Sartirana
- 1989III-IV13 September 1989
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Prealpi Vicentine earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 145 km away
- 1983IV9 November 1983
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Parmense earthquake (M5.0), epicentre 125 km away
- 1913F27 March 1913
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Val Trebbia earthquake (M4.2), epicentre 91 km away
- 1909IV13 January 1909
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Emilia Romagna orientale earthquake (M5.4), epicentre 218 km away
- 1901F30 October 1901
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Garda occidentale earthquake (M5.4), epicentre 85 km away
- 1898IV4 March 1898
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Parmense earthquake (M5.4), epicentre 134 km away
- 1894III-IV27 November 1894
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Bresciano earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 57 km away
- 1891IV-V7 June 1891
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Valle d'Illasi earthquake (M5.9), epicentre 137 km away
- 1891IV7 June 1891
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Valle d'Illasi earthquake (M5.9), epicentre 137 km away · observed at Sartirana
- 1891IV7 June 1891
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Valle d'Illasi earthquake (M5.9), epicentre 137 km away · observed at Pagnano-Cicognola
…and one more documented effect 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 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
2 eventsEarthquakes in the area
Nearby towns
How does it compare with the surroundings?
Merate is among the quietest towns of its province: very few epicentres are recorded here.
Each quake is attributed to the town closest to its epicentre: the numbers describe the area, not the municipal territory alone.
Context
Province of Lecco0 events · 30gLombardy region11 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Merate?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Merate area: the latest nearby dates back to 116 months ago.
Is Merate a seismic area?
Merate 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 Merate?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Merate was magnitude 3.9, in 2021.
When was the last quake near Merate?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Merate was 8 months ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)