Province of Varese

Earthquakes today in Mercallo

Today, within 30 km: no earthquakes recorded (updated at 10:48). Latest: M1.8 on 18 June 2023 at 21:56, 1 km North-West of Travedona-Monate, 24 km deep.

1.8
very light

Latest earthquake within 30 km

1 km North-West of Travedona-Monate

3 years ago · 18 Jun 2023, 21:56
Depth 24 km

Seismic activity within 30 km

30 km radius
1,213
days since the last quake within 30 km
3
quakes recorded since 2015
~3.9 years
on average, one quake every
1.8
The strongest within 30 km
1 km North-West of Travedona-Monate
3 years ago · 18 Jun 2023, 21:56

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

How seismic is Mercallo: 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 = 0.038 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).

Why the ground rarely shakes here

Mercallo 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 Travedona-Monate Earthquake details
0
In the town
total on record
0
In the town
last 12 months
0
Within 30 km
last 12 months
M1.8
Strongest since 2015
Within 30 km

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

No epicentre attributed to Mercallo in the INGV catalogue since 2015 · 1,827 inhabitants

The seismic history of Mercallo

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

  1. 2002NF13 November 2002

    Imperceptible: only instruments record it.

    Franciacorta earthquake (M4.2), epicentre 115 km away

  2. 1993IV-V14 June 1993

    Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.

    Val d'Ossola earthquake (M4.3), epicentre 39 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.

19184.6
Pianura lombarda earthquake
13 January 1918 · 35 km from here
IV-VRather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
13044.4
Pianura lombarda earthquake
18 December 1304 · 49 km from here
V-VIStrong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
19934.3
Val d'Ossola earthquake
14 June 1993 · 39 km from here
V-VIStrong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
13124.2
Pianura lombarda earthquake
14 October 1312 · 49 km from here
VRather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.

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 54 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

October 2026no events
Jan '25
Apr
Jul
Oct
Jan '26
Apr
Jul
Oct

Earthquake map within 30 km

3 events
Magnitude:lightweakmoderatestrong

Latest earthquakes within 30 km

1.8
3 years ago
18 Jun 2023, 21:56
1.5
1 km South of Gignese
18 km North-West · 14 km
3 years ago
15 Apr 2023, 21:07
1.4
2 km South-West of Buscate
26 km South-East · 37 km
11 years ago
22 Mar 2015, 06:14

Nearby towns

How does it compare with the surroundings?

Mercallo 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.
Mercallo0
Nearby towns average0.1

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: 012101

Frequently asked questions

Were there earthquakes near Mercallo today?

No, no quakes were recorded today within 30 km of Mercallo. The latest dates back to 18 June 2023.

Is Mercallo a seismic area?

Mercallo 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 Mercallo?

In the INGV catalogue since 2015, the strongest earthquake within 30 km of Mercallo was magnitude 1.8, on 18 June 2023.

When was the last quake near Mercallo?

The last quake recorded within 30 km of Mercallo dates back to 18 June 2023, magnitude 1.8.

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)