Earthquakes in Palma di Montechiaro
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 = 0.054 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Palma di Montechiaro plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Palma di Montechiaro
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Palma di Montechiaro 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 55 km away
- 1995NF29 December 1995
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Stretto di Sicilia earthquake (M4.5), epicentre 84 km away
- 1995NF28 December 1995
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Stretto di Sicilia earthquake (M4.1), epicentre 76 km away
- 1990NF16 December 1990
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Ionio meridionale earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 152 km away
- 1990NF13 December 1990
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 148 km away
- 1980NF23 January 1980
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Monti Iblei earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 98 km away
- 1978II15 April 1978
Very light: felt only by a few people at rest, on upper floors.
Golfo di Patti earthquake (M6.0), epicentre 177 km away
- 1968V15 January 1968
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Valle del Belice earthquake (M6.4), epicentre 94 km away
- 1908IV-V28 December 1908
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Stretto di Messina earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 201 km away
- 1898III3 November 1898
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Calatino earthquake (M4.5), epicentre 70 km away
- 1897NF28 May 1897
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Ionio earthquake (M5.5), epicentre 420 km away
- 1897NF15 May 1897
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Tirreno meridionale earthquake (M4.5), epicentre 143 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 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
47 eventsEarthquakes in the area
Nearby towns
How does it compare with the surroundings?
Palma di Montechiaro 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 Agrigento1 events · 30gSicily region126 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Palma di Montechiaro?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Palma di Montechiaro area: the latest nearby dates back to 8 months ago.
Is Palma di Montechiaro a seismic area?
Palma di Montechiaro 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 Palma di Montechiaro?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Palma di Montechiaro was magnitude 2.1, in 2016.
When was the last quake near Palma di Montechiaro?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Palma di Montechiaro was 57 months ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)