Earthquakes in Potenza Picena
Adriatico Centrale [Mare]
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?
A zone where strong earthquakes are possible: new buildings follow strict anti-seismic criteria.
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 = 0.183 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Potenza Picena plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Potenza Picena
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Potenza Picena over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 1998V-VI5 April 1998
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Appennino umbro-marchigiano earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 73 km away
- 1997IV-V14 October 1997
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Valnerina earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 79 km away
- 1997IV-V6 October 1997
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Appennino umbro-marchigiano earthquake (M5.5), epicentre 74 km away
- 1997V26 September 1997
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Appennino umbro-marchigiano earthquake (M5.7), epicentre 71 km away
- 1997V26 September 1997
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Appennino umbro-marchigiano earthquake (M6.0), epicentre 75 km away
- 1987VI3 July 1987
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Costa Marchigiana earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 29 km away
- 1957V11 November 1957
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Costa anconetana earthquake (M4.5), epicentre 13 km away
- 1950V5 September 1950
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Gran Sasso earthquake (M5.7), epicentre 93 km away
- 1943VI3 October 1943
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Ascolano earthquake (M5.7), epicentre 48 km away
- 1922V8 June 1922
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Valle del Chienti earthquake (M4.7), epicentre 37 km away
- 1917V5 November 1917
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Costa anconetana earthquake (M5.2), epicentre 23 km away
- 1874V-VI3 February 1874
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Maceratese earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 1 km away
…and 24 more documented effects 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 5 km from Conero onshore, 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?
Potenza Picena 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 Macerata241 events · 30gMarche region345 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Potenza Picena?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Potenza Picena area: the latest nearby dates back to 22 days ago.
Is Potenza Picena a seismic area?
Potenza Picena 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 Potenza Picena?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Potenza Picena was magnitude 3.6, in 2023.
When was the last quake near Potenza Picena?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Potenza Picena was 19 days ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)