Earthquakes in Porto Empedocle
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?
A zone where strong earthquakes are possible: new buildings follow strict anti-seismic criteria.
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 = 0.055 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Porto Empedocle plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Porto Empedocle
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Porto Empedocle 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 178 km away
- 1995NF29 December 1995
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Stretto di Sicilia earthquake (M4.5), epicentre 93 km away
- 1995NF28 December 1995
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Stretto di Sicilia earthquake (M4.1), epicentre 86 km away
- 1992NF6 August 1992
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Stretto di Sicilia earthquake (M3.9), epicentre 30 km away
- 1978F15 April 1978
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Golfo di Patti earthquake (M6.0), epicentre 183 km away
- 1978IV-V19 January 1978
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Stretto di Sicilia earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 47 km away
- 1968V15 January 1968
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Valle del Belice earthquake (M6.4), epicentre 68 km away
- 1959V23 December 1959
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Piana di Catania earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 124 km away
- 1908III28 December 1908
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Stretto di Messina earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 213 km away
- 1897NF15 May 1897
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Tirreno meridionale earthquake (M4.5), epicentre 124 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
20 eventsEarthquakes in the area
Nearby towns
How does it compare with the surroundings?
Porto Empedocle 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 Porto Empedocle?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Porto Empedocle area: the latest nearby dates back to 5 months ago.
Is Porto Empedocle a seismic area?
Porto Empedocle is classified in seismic zone 2 by the Civil Protection. A zone where strong earthquakes are possible: new buildings follow strict anti-seismic criteria.
What was the strongest earthquake near Porto Empedocle?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Porto Empedocle was magnitude 2.3, in 2019.
When was the last quake near Porto Empedocle?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Porto Empedocle was 5 months ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)