Earthquakes in Mottola
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 = 0.111 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Mottola plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Mottola
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Mottola over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 1995IV30 September 1995
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Gargano earthquake (M5.2), epicentre 152 km away
- 1994NF7 January 1994
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Golfo di Taranto earthquake (M4.0), epicentre 59 km away
- 1990IV5 May 1990
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Potentino earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 111 km away
- 1980IV23 November 1980
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Irpinia-Basilicata earthquake (M6.8), epicentre 150 km away
- 1932IV30 March 1932
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Bassa Murgia earthquake (M4.5), epicentre 21 km away
- 1930V23 July 1930
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Irpinia earthquake (M6.7), epicentre 152 km away
- 1915NF13 January 1915
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Marsica earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 329 km away
- 1913F28 June 1913
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Calabria settentrionale earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 147 km away
- 1910IV7 June 1910
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Irpinia-Basilicata earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 140 km away
- 1901III13 December 1901
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Calabria earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 239 km away
- 1897F28 May 1897
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Ionio earthquake (M5.5), epicentre 430 km away
- 1894II28 May 1894
Very light: felt only by a few people at rest, on upper floors.
Pollino earthquake (M5.0), epicentre 116 km away
…and one more documented effect 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 7 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
60 eventsEarthquakes in the area
Nearby towns
How does it compare with the surroundings?
Mottola 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 Taranto1 events · 30gPuglia region20 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Mottola?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Mottola area: the latest nearby dates back to 19 days ago.
Is Mottola a seismic area?
Mottola 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 Mottola?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Mottola was magnitude 2.6, in 2021.
When was the last quake near Mottola?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Mottola 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)