Earthquakes in Caltanissetta
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 = 0.071 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Caltanissetta plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Caltanissetta
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Caltanissetta over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2020III22 December 2020
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Ragusano earthquake (M4.5), epicentre 71 km away
- 2002IV6 September 2002
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Tirreno meridionale earthquake (M5.9), epicentre 102 km away
- 2001III25 November 2001
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Monti Madonie earthquake (M4.7), epicentre 40 km away
- 1994IV6 May 1994
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Sicilia centrale earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 25 km away
- 1990V-VI13 December 1990
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 128 km away
- 1980IV-V28 May 1980
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Tirreno meridionale earthquake (M5.7), epicentre 114 km away
- 1978V15 April 1978
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Golfo di Patti earthquake (M6.0), epicentre 139 km away
- 1968V-VI15 January 1968
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Valle del Belice earthquake (M6.4), epicentre 95 km away
- 1967VI31 October 1967
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Monti Nebrodi earthquake (M5.3), epicentre 56 km away
- 1959V23 December 1959
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Piana di Catania earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 82 km away
- 1908VI-VII28 December 1908
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Stretto di Messina earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 166 km away
- 1823V5 March 1823
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Sicilia settentrionale earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 84 km away
…and 11 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 33 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
60 eventsEarthquakes in the area
Nearby towns
How does it compare with the surroundings?
Caltanissetta 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 Caltanissetta0 events · 30gSicily region126 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Caltanissetta?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Caltanissetta area: the latest nearby dates back to 7 days ago.
Is Caltanissetta a seismic area?
Caltanissetta 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 Caltanissetta?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Caltanissetta was magnitude 3.6, in 2026.
When was the last quake near Caltanissetta?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Caltanissetta was 7 days ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)