Earthquakes in Belpasso
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 = 0.194 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Belpasso plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Belpasso
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Belpasso over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 1998V10 January 1998
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Etna - Versante sud-occidentale earthquake (M4.0), epicentre 22 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 51 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 92 km away
- 1898V-VI14 May 1898
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Etna - S. Maria Licodia earthquake (M4.0), epicentre 9 km away
- 1883VI-VII22 March 1883
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Etna - Belpasso earthquake (M4.0), epicentre 7 km away
- 1850VII1 January 1850
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Etna - Versante sud-occidentale earthquake (M4.3), epicentre 7 km away
- 1846VI22 April 1846
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Piana di Catania earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 3 km away
- 1842V-VI18 November 1842
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Etna - Belpasso earthquake (M3.5), epicentre 9 km away
- 1818VIII20 February 1818
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Catanese earthquake (M6.3), epicentre 18 km away · observed at Borrello
- 1818VII-VIII20 February 1818
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Catanese earthquake (M6.3), epicentre 18 km away
- 1693X-XI11 January 1693
Catastrophic: very few buildings remain standing; landslides and ground cracks.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M7.3), epicentre 46 km away · observed at Borrello
- 1693X11 January 1693
Completely destructive: most buildings are destroyed.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M7.3), epicentre 46 km away · observed at Fenicia Moncada
…and 88 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?
Belpasso 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 Catania23 events · 30gSicily region127 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Belpasso?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Belpasso area: the latest nearby dates back to 24 days ago.
Is Belpasso a seismic area?
Belpasso 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 Belpasso?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Belpasso was magnitude 4.9, in 2018.
When was the last quake near Belpasso?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Belpasso was 5 days ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)