Earthquakes in Sondalo
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 = 0.075 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Sondalo plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Sondalo
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Sondalo over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2001III-IV17 July 2001
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Val Venosta earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 66 km away
- 2000IV6 April 2000
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Alpi Retiche earthquake (M4.0), epicentre 21 km away
- 1999III31 December 1999
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Alpi Retiche earthquake (M4.1), epicentre 23 km away
- 1999III-IV29 December 1999
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Alpi Retiche earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 23 km away
- 1989IV13 September 1989
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Prealpi Vicentine earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 86 km away
- 1983III9 November 1983
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Parmense earthquake (M5.0), epicentre 178 km away
- 1919IV16 September 1919
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Alta Valtellina earthquake (M3.5), epicentre 35 km away
- 1917IV9 December 1917
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Alta Engadina earthquake (M4.6), epicentre 47 km away
- 1901III30 October 1901
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Garda occidentale earthquake (M5.4), epicentre 86 km away · observed at Bolladore
- 1891F7 June 1891
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Valle d'Illasi earthquake (M5.9), epicentre 107 km away · observed at Bolladore
- 1882IV27 February 1882
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Valle Seriana earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 63 km away · observed at Bolladore
- 1851V5 February 1851
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Valtellina earthquake (M4.7), epicentre 51 km away · observed at Bolladore
…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 lies about 49 km from Giudicarie, 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?
Sondalo 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 Sondrio5 events · 30gLombardy region11 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Sondalo?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Sondalo area: the latest nearby dates back to 18 days ago.
Is Sondalo a seismic area?
Sondalo 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 Sondalo?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Sondalo was magnitude 3.1, in 2016.
When was the last quake near Sondalo?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Sondalo was 18 days ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)