Earthquakes in Molfetta
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 = 0.125 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Molfetta plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Molfetta
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Molfetta over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2006IV29 May 2006
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Gargano earthquake (M4.6), epicentre 88 km away
- 1991V26 May 1991
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Potentino earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 84 km away
- 1990IV5 May 1990
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Potentino earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 86 km away
- 1990III-IV18 February 1990
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Adriatico centrale earthquake (M4.2), epicentre 110 km away
- 1980V23 November 1980
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Irpinia-Basilicata earthquake (M6.8), epicentre 115 km away
- 1962F19 January 1962
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Gargano earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 90 km away
- 1905V8 September 1905
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Calabria centrale earthquake (M7.0), epicentre 268 km away
- 1857IV16 December 1857
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Basilicata earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 111 km away
- 1805V26 July 1805
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Molise earthquake (M6.7), epicentre 179 km away
- 1731VIII20 March 1731
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Tavoliere delle Puglie earthquake (M6.3), epicentre 69 km away
- 1627HF30 July 1627
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Capitanata earthquake (M6.7), epicentre 120 km away
- 1560V11 May 1560
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Costa pugliese centrale earthquake (M5.7), epicentre 10 km away
…and 7 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 11 km from Castelluccio dei Sauri-Trani, 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?
Molfetta 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 Bari0 events · 30gPuglia region20 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Molfetta?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Molfetta area: the latest nearby dates back to 4 months ago.
Is Molfetta a seismic area?
Molfetta 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 Molfetta?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Molfetta was magnitude 3.7, in 2019.
When was the last quake near Molfetta?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Molfetta was 4 months ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)