Earthquakes in Laterza
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 = 0.147 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Laterza plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Laterza
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Laterza over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 1996IV3 April 1996
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Irpinia earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 112 km away
- 1995III-IV30 September 1995
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Gargano earthquake (M5.2), epicentre 144 km away
- 1991IV-V26 May 1991
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Potentino earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 82 km away
- 1990IV-V5 May 1990
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Potentino earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 89 km away
- 1990III-IV18 February 1990
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Adriatico centrale earthquake (M4.2), epicentre 172 km away
- 1980VI23 November 1980
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Irpinia-Basilicata earthquake (M6.8), epicentre 129 km away
- 1978VI24 September 1978
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Materano earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 25 km away
- 1956IV9 January 1956
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Materano earthquake (M4.7), epicentre 37 km away
- 1930VII23 July 1930
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Irpinia earthquake (M6.7), epicentre 132 km away
- 1910F3 October 1910
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Basilicata meridionale earthquake (M4.6), epicentre 70 km away
- 1897F11 February 1897
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Ionio meridionale earthquake (M5.0), epicentre 381 km away
- 1857VII16 December 1857
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Basilicata earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 86 km away
…and 3 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 sits above this source area: the deep structure where this area's earthquakes can originate.
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?
Laterza 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 Taranto1 events · 30gPuglia region20 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Laterza?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Laterza area: the latest nearby dates back to 19 days ago.
Is Laterza a seismic area?
Laterza 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 Laterza?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Laterza was magnitude 3.5, in 2018.
When was the last quake near Laterza?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Laterza was 19 days ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)