Earthquakes in Oria
Mar Ionio Settentrionale [Mare]
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?
The quietest class: the probability of strong earthquakes is very low.
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 = 0.051 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
Why the ground rarely shakes here
Oria 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.
The “area” is Oria plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Oria
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Oria over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 1990IV5 May 1990
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Potentino earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 165 km away
- 1990III18 February 1990
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Adriatico centrale earthquake (M4.2), epicentre 211 km away
- 1988IV13 April 1988
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Golfo di Taranto earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 113 km away
- 1984NF29 April 1984
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Umbria settentrionale earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 525 km away
- 1980V23 November 1980
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Irpinia-Basilicata earthquake (M6.8), epicentre 204 km away
- 1909III20 January 1909
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Salento earthquake (M4.5), epicentre 48 km away
- 1897V28 May 1897
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Ionio earthquake (M5.5), epicentre 397 km away
- 1889IV8 December 1889
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Gargano earthquake (M5.5), epicentre 222 km away
- 1857VI-VII16 December 1857
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Basilicata earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 155 km away
- 1743VIII20 February 1743
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Ionio settentrionale earthquake (M6.7), epicentre 119 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 50 km from Baragiano-Palagianello, 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
7 eventsEarthquakes in the area
Nearby towns
How does it compare with the surroundings?
Oria 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 Brindisi0 events · 30gPuglia region20 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Oria?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Oria area: the latest nearby dates back to 5 months ago.
Is Oria a seismic area?
Oria 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 Oria?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Oria was magnitude 2.5, in 2015.
When was the last quake near Oria?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Oria was 13 months ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)