Province of Campobasso

Earthquakes in Petacciato

1.0
very light
LATEST QUAKE

3 km East of Palata

3 months ago · 1 Jun, 02:11
Depth 19 km

Seismic activity in the surroundings

30 km radius
44
days since the last quake nearby
855
quakes recorded since 2014
~5 days
on average, one quake every
5.1
The strongest within 30 km
3 km East of Palata
98 months ago · 16 Aug, 20:19

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

How seismic is this area?

Zone3
Seismic zone 3

Medium-low seismicity: strong quakes are rare, but not impossible.

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

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 = 0.103 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).

Closest earthquake
Earthquake details
3
In the town
total on record
0
In the town
last 12 months
4
In the area
last 12 months
M5.1
Strongest ever
In the area

The “area” is Petacciato plus nearby towns.

Last earthquake: 28 months ago · 3,638 inhabitants

The seismic history of Petacciato

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

  1. 2006II-III29 May 2006

    Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.

    Gargano earthquake (M4.6), epicentre 91 km away

  2. 2005II1 March 2005

    Very light: felt only by a few people at rest, on upper floors.

    Molise earthquake (M3.7), epicentre 39 km away

  3. 2003III-IV30 December 2003

    Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.

    Molise earthquake (M4.5), epicentre 41 km away

  4. 2003III-IV29 March 2003

    Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.

    Adriatico centrale earthquake (M5.4), epicentre 131 km away

  5. 2002V1 November 2002

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

    Molise earthquake (M5.7), epicentre 30 km away

  6. 1996III-IV10 November 1996

    Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.

    Tavoliere delle Puglie earthquake (M4.3), epicentre 48 km away

  7. 1995III-IV30 September 1995

    Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.

    Gargano earthquake (M5.2), epicentre 96 km away

  8. 1990III5 May 1990

    Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.

    Potentino earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 160 km away

  9. 1988III-IV26 April 1988

    Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.

    Adriatico centrale earthquake (M5.4), epicentre 150 km away

  10. 1984IV7 May 1984

    Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.

    Monti della Meta earthquake (M5.9), epicentre 76 km away

  11. 1980V23 November 1980

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

    Irpinia-Basilicata earthquake (M6.8), epicentre 135 km away

  12. 1962V21 August 1962

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

    Irpinia earthquake (M6.2), epicentre 87 km away

…and 4 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.

16276.0
Capitanata earthquake
7 August 1627 · 49 km from here
IXDestructive: many buildings partly or fully collapse.
20025.7
Molise earthquake
31 October 2002 · 33 km from here
VIII-IXDestructive: many buildings partly or fully collapse.
20025.7
Molise earthquake
1 November 2002 · 30 km from here
VIIVery strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
18215.6
Costa molisana earthquake
22 November 1821 · 31 km from here
VII-VIIIRuinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.

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

The closest seismic structure

Tocco Casauria-Tremiti

The town lies about 15 km from Tocco Casauria-Tremiti, one of the seismic structures mapped by INGV geologists.

estimated maximum magnitude 7.5between 11 and 20 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).

Area over time

June 20261eventmax 1.0
Oct
Jan '25
Apr
Jul
Oct
Jan '26
Apr
Jul

Earthquake map

60 events
Magnitude:lightweakmoderatestrong

Earthquakes in the area

1.0
3 km East of Palata
17 km South · 19 km
3 months ago
1 Jun, 02:11
1.7
7 months ago
9 Feb, 21:03
2.1
2 km East of Montecilfone
11 km South · 13 km
7 months ago
1 Feb, 00:20
2.0
11 months ago
28 Sept, 00:36
1.5
15 km North-East of Termoli
19 km East · 9 km
13 months ago
9 Aug, 13:45
1.5
3 km South-East of Palata
18 km South · 15 km
21 months ago
13 Dec, 08:09
1.2
4 km South-East of Palata
19 km South · 15 km
21 months ago
12 Dec, 16:02
1.7
3 km East of Palata
15 km South · 15 km
21 months ago
11 Dec, 01:46
1.8
4 km South-East of Palata
19 km South · 15 km
22 months ago
12 Nov, 06:03
2.7
4 km South-East of Palata
18 km South · 17 km
22 months ago
10 Nov, 15:14

Nearby towns

How does it compare with the surroundings?

Petacciato is quieter than the average of its province.

quietermore active
More epicentres than 33% of the 84 towns in the province.
Petacciato3
Nearby towns average64

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

Context

Province of Campobasso3 events · 30gMolise region16 events · 30g
ISTAT code: 070051

Frequently asked questions

Were there earthquakes today in Petacciato?

No, no quakes were recorded today in the Petacciato area: the latest nearby dates back to 3 months ago.

Is Petacciato a seismic area?

Petacciato 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 Petacciato?

In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Petacciato was magnitude 5.1, in 2018.

When was the last quake near Petacciato?

The last quake recorded within 30 km of Petacciato was 2 months ago.

Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.

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

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