Earthquakes in Aci Castello
Seismic activity in the surroundings
30 km radiusINGV catalogue epicentres of the last ~11 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 = 0.204 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Aci Castello plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Aci Castello
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Aci Castello over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2001IV9 January 2001
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Etna - Zafferana Etnea earthquake (M3.7), epicentre 16 km away
- 1990VI13 December 1990
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 37 km away
- 1990V13 December 1990
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 37 km away · observed at Cannizzaro
- 1983IV-V20 July 1983
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Etna - Viagrande earthquake (M4.3), epicentre 8 km away · observed at Aci Trezza
- 1914V26 May 1914
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Etna - Lavinaio (Aci S. Antonio) earthquake (M3.8), epicentre 9 km away · observed at Aci Trezza
- 1914V8 May 1914
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Etna - Linera (S. Venerina) earthquake (M5.2), epicentre 11 km away · observed at Aci Trezza
- 1905V8 September 1905
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Calabria centrale earthquake (M7.0), epicentre 157 km away
- 1848VI11 January 1848
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Golfo di Catania earthquake (M5.5), epicentre 17 km away
- 1818VII-VIII20 February 1818
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Catanese earthquake (M6.3), epicentre 5 km away · observed at Aci Trezza
- 1818VII20 February 1818
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Catanese earthquake (M6.3), epicentre 5 km away
- 1693X-XI11 January 1693
Catastrophic: very few buildings remain standing; landslides and ground cracks.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M7.3), epicentre 49 km away · observed at Aci Trezza
- 1693X-XI11 January 1693
Catastrophic: very few buildings remain standing; landslides and ground cracks.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M7.3), epicentre 49 km away
…and 43 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 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
60 eventsEarthquakes in the area
Nearby towns
How does it compare with the surroundings?
Aci Castello records more quakes than the average of its province.
Each quake is attributed to the town closest to its epicentre: the numbers describe the area, not the municipal territory alone.
Context
Province of Catania39 events · 30gSicily region203 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Aci Castello?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Aci Castello area: the latest nearby dates back to yesterday.
Is Aci Castello a seismic area?
Aci Castello 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 Aci Castello?
In the last ~11 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Aci Castello was magnitude 4.9, in 2018.
When was the last quake near Aci Castello?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Aci Castello was 10 hours ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)