Earthquakes in Sale
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?
Medium-low seismicity: strong quakes are rare, but not impossible.
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 = 0.067 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Sale plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Sale
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Sale over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2005NF18 April 2005
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Valle del Trebbia earthquake (M4.0), epicentre 51 km away
- 2002NF13 November 2002
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Franciacorta earthquake (M4.2), epicentre 129 km away
- 2001III18 July 2001
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Monferrato earthquake (M4.2), epicentre 36 km away
- 1913NF27 March 1913
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Val Trebbia earthquake (M4.2), epicentre 42 km away
- 1905NF30 May 1905
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Cuneese earthquake (M4.7), epicentre 110 km away
- 1905NF29 April 1905
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Haute-Savoie, Vallorcine earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 182 km away
- 1901III-IV23 January 1901
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Oltrepò Pavese earthquake (M4.2), epicentre 16 km away
- 1900NF30 December 1900
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Alto Monferrato earthquake (M4.3), epicentre 46 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.
Source: Parametric Catalogue of Italian Earthquakes CPTI15 (INGV, CC BY 4.0).
The closest seismic structure
The town sits above this source area: the deep structure where this area's earthquakes can originate.
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
8 eventsEarthquakes in the area
Nearby towns
How does it compare with the surroundings?
Sale records more quakes than the average of its province.
Each quake is attributed to the town closest to its epicentre: the numbers describe the area, not the municipal territory alone.
Context
Province of Alessandria0 events · 30gPiedmont region36 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Sale?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Sale area: the latest nearby dates back to 36 months ago.
Is Sale a seismic area?
Sale 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 Sale?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Sale was magnitude 3.1, in 2020.
When was the last quake near Sale?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Sale 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)