Earthquakes in Grotte
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 = 0.062 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Grotte plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Grotte
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Grotte over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2005NF21 November 2005
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Sicilia centrale earthquake (M4.6), epicentre 42 km away
- 2004NF5 May 2004
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Isole Eolie earthquake (M5.4), epicentre 158 km away
- 1995NF11 April 1995
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Sicilia centrale earthquake (M4.0), epicentre 27 km away
- 1980NF23 November 1980
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Irpinia-Basilicata earthquake (M6.8), epicentre 404 km away
- 1968V15 January 1968
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Valle del Belice earthquake (M6.4), epicentre 73 km away
- 1905NF8 September 1905
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Calabria centrale earthquake (M7.0), epicentre 255 km away
- 1897NF28 May 1897
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Ionio earthquake (M5.5), epicentre 428 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 15 km from Sciacca-Gela, 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
10 eventsEarthquakes in the area
Nearby towns
How does it compare with the surroundings?
Grotte 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 Agrigento1 events · 30gSicily region127 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Grotte?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Grotte area: the latest nearby dates back to 5 months ago.
Is Grotte a seismic area?
Grotte 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 Grotte?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Grotte was magnitude 3.4, in 2025.
When was the last quake near Grotte?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Grotte was 1 month ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)