Province of Novara

Earthquakes in Varallo Pombia

Low-seismicity area

No epicentres recorded in Varallo Pombia in our archive. Here is the seismicity of the area and its surroundings.

Seismic activity in the surroundings

30 km radius
84
days since the last quake nearby
8
quakes recorded since 2014
~17 months
on average, one quake every
2.6
The strongest within 30 km
1 km South-West of Magenta
88 months ago · 20 May, 08:47

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

How seismic is this area?

Zone4
Seismic zone 4

The quietest class: the probability of strong earthquakes is very low.

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

Very 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 = 0.038 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).

Why the ground rarely shakes here

Varallo Pombia sits in one of the most stable areas of Italy: far from the boundary between the Eurasian and African plates, on ancient, rigid crust that hardly accumulates tectonic stress any more.

That is why earthquakes here are rare and almost always weak: a small geological privilege.

0
In the town
total on record
0
In the town
last 12 months
0
In the area
last 12 months
Strongest ever
In the area

The “area” is Varallo Pombia plus nearby towns.

No earthquakes recorded in Varallo Pombia · 5,004 inhabitants

The seismic history of Varallo Pombia

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

  1. 1961IV23 November 1961

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

    Prealpi bergamasche earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 74 km away

  2. 1894IV27 November 1894

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

    Bresciano earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 116 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.

13965.3
Monza earthquake
26 November 1396 · 50 km from here
VII-VIIIRuinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
19184.6
Pianura lombarda earthquake
13 January 1918 · 28 km from here
IV-VRather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
19364.5
Biellese earthquake
17 October 1936 · 49 km from here
VI-VIIVery strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
13044.4
Pianura lombarda earthquake
18 December 1304 · 43 km from here
V-VIStrong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.

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

The closest seismic structure

Western S-Alps external thrust shallow-west

The town lies about 54 km from Western S-Alps external thrust shallow-west, one of the seismic structures mapped by INGV geologists.

estimated maximum magnitude 6.2between 2 and 6 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

August 2026no events
Oct
Jan '25
Apr
Jul
Oct
Jan '26
Apr
Jul

Earthquake map

0 events
Magnitude:lightweakmoderatestrong

Earthquakes in the area

No events in the selected period.

Nearby towns

How does it compare with the surroundings?

Varallo Pombia is among the quietest towns of its province: very few epicentres are recorded here.

quietermore active
More epicentres than 0% of the 87 towns in the province.
Varallo Pombia0
Nearby towns average0

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

Context

Province of Novara0 events · 30gPiedmont region36 events · 30g
ISTAT code: 003154

Frequently asked questions

Were there earthquakes today in Varallo Pombia?

No, no quakes were recorded today in the Varallo Pombia area.

Is Varallo Pombia a seismic area?

Varallo Pombia is classified in seismic zone 4 by the Civil Protection. The quietest class: the probability of strong earthquakes is very low.

What was the strongest earthquake near Varallo Pombia?

In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Varallo Pombia was magnitude 2.6, in 2019.

When was the last quake near Varallo Pombia?

The last quake recorded within 30 km of Varallo Pombia was 3 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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