Earthquakes in Formazza
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 = 0.103 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Formazza plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Formazza
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Formazza over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 1993III14 June 1993
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Val d'Ossola earthquake (M4.3), epicentre 48 km away · observed at Formazza (Ponte)
- 1912IV-V31 May 1912
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Canavese earthquake (M4.7), epicentre 105 km away · observed at Formazza (Ponte)
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 36 km from Western Valais, 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?
Formazza 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 Verbano-Cusio-Ossola2 events · 30gPiedmont region36 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Formazza?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Formazza area: the latest nearby dates back to 8 days ago.
Is Formazza a seismic area?
Formazza 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 Formazza?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Formazza was magnitude 3.7, in 2021.
When was the last quake near Formazza?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Formazza was 8 days ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)