Province of Varese

Earthquakes today in Gorla Maggiore

Today, within 30 km: no earthquakes recorded (updated at 11:38). Latest: M1.5 on 1 January 2025 at 23:47, 2 km North-West of Cassinetta di Lugagnano, 12 km deep.

1.5
very light

Latest earthquake within 30 km

2 km North-West of Cassinetta di Lugagnano

1 year ago · 1 Jan 2025, 23:47
Depth 12 km

Seismic activity within 30 km

30 km radius
650
days since the last quake within 30 km
9
quakes recorded since 2015
~16 months
on average, one quake every
3.8
The strongest within 30 km
2 km North of Milano
5 years ago · 17 Dec 2020, 16:59

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

How seismic is Gorla Maggiore: zone 4

Zone4
Seismic zone 4

The quietest class: the probability of strong earthquakes is very low.

Official Civil Protection classification (upd. 2025), used for building codes.

Very 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 = 0.039 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).

Why the ground rarely shakes here

Gorla Maggiore sits in one of the most stable areas of Italy: far from the boundary between the Eurasian and African plates, on ancient, rigid crust that hardly accumulates tectonic stress any more.

That is why earthquakes here are rare and almost always weak: a small geological privilege.

Closest earthquake
Go to Caronno Pertusella Earthquake details
0
In the town
total on record
0
In the town
last 12 months
0
Within 30 km
last 12 months
M3.8
Strongest since 2015
Within 30 km

“Within 30 km”: epicentres less than 30 km from the centre of Gorla Maggiore. “In the town”: quakes whose nearest town to the epicentre is Gorla Maggiore.

No epicentre attributed to Gorla Maggiore in the INGV catalogue since 2015 · 5,081 inhabitants

The seismic history of Gorla Maggiore

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

  1. 2000NF21 August 2000

    Imperceptible: only instruments record it.

    Monferrato earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 94 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.

13965.3
Monza earthquake
26 November 1396 · 31 km from here
VII-VIIIRuinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
19185.0
Lecchese earthquake
24 April 1918 · 46 km from here
VIStrong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
19184.6
Pianura lombarda earthquake
13 January 1918 · 24 km from here
IV-VRather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
13044.4
Pianura lombarda earthquake
18 December 1304 · 36 km from here
V-VIStrong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.

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

The closest seismic structure

Western S-Alps internal thrust

The town lies about 35 km from Western S-Alps internal thrust, one of the seismic structures mapped by INGV geologists.

estimated maximum magnitude 6.9between 5 and 12 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).

Over time within 30 km

January 20251eventmax 1.5
Jan '25
Apr
Jul
Oct
Jan '26
Apr
Jul
Oct

Earthquake map within 30 km

9 events
Magnitude:lightweakmoderatestrong

Latest earthquakes within 30 km

1.5
1 year ago
1 Jan 2025, 23:47
1.8
1 km North-West of Travedona-Monate
25 km North-West · 24 km
3 years ago
18 Jun 2023, 21:56
3.8
2 km North of Milano
29 km South-East · 55 km
5 years ago
17 Dec 2020, 16:59
1.8
1 km South of Caronno Pertusella
15 km South-East · 35 km
5 years ago
19 Oct 2020, 21:49
2.6
1 km South-West of Magenta
25 km South · 24 km
7 years ago
20 May 2019, 08:47
2.4
1 km East of Novedrate
19 km East · 33 km
9 years ago
29 Apr 2017, 01:30
2.7
4 km North-East of Milano
30 km South-East · 23 km
10 years ago
15 Jun 2016, 04:27
1.4
4 km South-West of Romentino
30 km South-West · 33 km
10 years ago
8 May 2016, 16:39
1.4
2 km South-West of Buscate
17 km South-West · 37 km
11 years ago
22 Mar 2015, 06:14

Nearby towns

How does it compare with the surroundings?

Gorla Maggiore is among the quietest towns of its province: very few epicentres are recorded here.

quietermore active
More epicentres than 0% of the 138 towns in the province.
Gorla Maggiore0
Nearby towns average0

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

Context

Province of Varese0 events · last 30 daysLombardy region14 events · last 30 days
ISTAT code: 012078

Frequently asked questions

Were there earthquakes near Gorla Maggiore today?

No, no quakes were recorded today within 30 km of Gorla Maggiore. The latest dates back to 1 January 2025.

Is Gorla Maggiore a seismic area?

Gorla Maggiore is classified in seismic zone 4 by the Civil Protection. The quietest class: the probability of strong earthquakes is very low.

What was the strongest earthquake near Gorla Maggiore?

In the INGV catalogue since 2015, the strongest earthquake within 30 km of Gorla Maggiore was magnitude 3.8, on 17 December 2020.

When was the last quake near Gorla Maggiore?

The last quake recorded within 30 km of Gorla Maggiore dates back to 1 January 2025, magnitude 1.5.

Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.

Sources:INGV earthquake catalogueDBMI15 macroseismic historyCivil Protection seismic classification

Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)