Earthquakes in Alto
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 = 0.128 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Alto plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Alto
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Alto over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2001NF25 February 2001
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Mar Ligure earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 84 km away
- 2000II21 August 2000
Very light: felt only by a few people at rest, on upper floors.
Monferrato earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 93 km away
- 1989III26 December 1989
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Mar Ligure earthquake (M4.5), epicentre 77 km away
- 1968V18 April 1968
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Liguria occidentale earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 8 km away
- 1887VI23 February 1887
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Liguria occidentale earthquake (M6.3), epicentre 25 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 lies about 31 km from Imperia Promontory, 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?
Alto 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 Cuneo22 events · 30gPiedmont region36 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Alto?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Alto area: the latest nearby dates back to 19 days ago.
Is Alto a seismic area?
Alto 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 Alto?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Alto was magnitude 2.5, in 2026.
When was the last quake near Alto?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Alto was 13 days ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)