Earthquakes in Torchiarolo
Adriatico Meridionale [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 = 0.046 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
Why the ground rarely shakes here
Torchiarolo 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 Torchiarolo plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Torchiarolo
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Torchiarolo over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2004NF5 May 2004
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Isole Eolie earthquake (M5.4), epicentre 354 km away
- 1990NF5 May 1990
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Potentino earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 197 km away
- 1988NF13 April 1988
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Golfo di Taranto earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 135 km away
- 1980IV23 November 1980
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Irpinia-Basilicata earthquake (M6.8), epicentre 237 km away
- 1947NF11 May 1947
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Calabria centrale earthquake (M5.7), epicentre 244 km away
- 1909F20 January 1909
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Salento earthquake (M4.5), epicentre 36 km away
- 1904NF8 April 1904
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Gargano earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 237 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 83 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
39 eventsEarthquakes in the area
Nearby towns
How does it compare with the surroundings?
Torchiarolo is among the quietest towns of its province: very few epicentres are recorded here.
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 Torchiarolo?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Torchiarolo area: the latest nearby dates back to 8 months ago.
Is Torchiarolo a seismic area?
Torchiarolo 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 Torchiarolo?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Torchiarolo was magnitude 2.9, in 2021.
When was the last quake near Torchiarolo?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Torchiarolo was 16 months ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)