Earthquakes in Santa Margherita di Belice
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?
The most severe class: strong earthquakes are possible here and buildings follow the strictest anti-seismic rules.
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 = 0.167 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Santa Margherita di Belice plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Santa Margherita di Belice
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Santa Margherita di Belice 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 96 km away
- 1981III7 June 1981
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Mazara del Vallo earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 48 km away
- 1973IV-V21 September 1973
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Valle del Belice earthquake (M4.0), epicentre 7 km away
- 1972V27 December 1972
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Valle del Belice earthquake (M4.3), epicentre 7 km away
- 1968V1 September 1968
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Valle del Belice earthquake (M4.6), epicentre 12 km away
- 1968VIII25 January 1968
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Valle del Belice earthquake (M5.4), epicentre 4 km away
- 1968VII-VIII16 January 1968
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Valle del Belice earthquake (M5.5), epicentre 19 km away
- 1968IX15 January 1968
Destructive: many buildings partly or fully collapse.
Valle del Belice earthquake (M6.4), epicentre 8 km away
- 1968VIII15 January 1968
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Valle del Belice earthquake (M5.4), epicentre 8 km away
- 1968VII14 January 1968
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Valle del Belice earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 23 km away
- 1968VI14 January 1968
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Valle del Belice earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 18 km away
- 1727F8 May 1727
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Stretto di Sicilia earthquake (M4.6), epicentre 21 km away
…and 4 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 lies about 4 km from Monte Magaggiaro-Pizzo Telegrafo, 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?
Santa Margherita di Belice 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 Santa Margherita di Belice?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Santa Margherita di Belice area: the latest nearby dates back to 1 month ago.
Is Santa Margherita di Belice a seismic area?
Santa Margherita di Belice is classified in seismic zone 1 by the Civil Protection. The most severe class: strong earthquakes are possible here and buildings follow the strictest anti-seismic rules.
What was the strongest earthquake near Santa Margherita di Belice?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Santa Margherita di Belice was magnitude 4.1, in 2022.
When was the last quake near Santa Margherita di Belice?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Santa Margherita di Belice 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)