Earthquakes in Sant'Elia a Pianisi
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 = 0.209 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Sant'Elia a Pianisi plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Sant'Elia a Pianisi
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Sant'Elia a Pianisi over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2003IV-V30 December 2003
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Molise earthquake (M4.5), epicentre 2 km away
- 2003IV-V1 June 2003
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Molise earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 4 km away
- 2003IV28 April 2003
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Molise earthquake (M3.6), epicentre 5 km away
- 2003III-IV27 January 2003
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Molise earthquake (M3.8), epicentre 11 km away
- 2002V12 November 2002
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Molise earthquake (M4.6), epicentre 8 km away
- 2002V-VI1 November 2002
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Molise earthquake (M5.7), epicentre 10 km away
- 2002V-VI31 October 2002
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Molise earthquake (M5.7), epicentre 8 km away
- 1990III-IV5 May 1990
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Potentino earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 125 km away
- 1984IV7 May 1984
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Monti della Meta earthquake (M5.9), epicentre 68 km away
- 1962V21 August 1962
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Irpinia earthquake (M6.2), epicentre 47 km away
- 1913IV-V4 October 1913
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Molise earthquake (M5.3), epicentre 20 km away
- 1688F5 June 1688
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Sannio earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 48 km away
…and 12 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 3 km from Ripabottoni-San Severo, 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?
Sant'Elia a Pianisi 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 Campobasso3 events · 30gMolise region16 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Sant'Elia a Pianisi?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Sant'Elia a Pianisi area: the latest nearby dates back to 19 days ago.
Is Sant'Elia a Pianisi a seismic area?
Sant'Elia a Pianisi 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 Sant'Elia a Pianisi?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Sant'Elia a Pianisi was magnitude 5.1, in 2018.
When was the last quake near Sant'Elia a Pianisi?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Sant'Elia a Pianisi was 10 days ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)