Earthquakes in Biancavilla
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 = 0.184 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Biancavilla plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Biancavilla
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Biancavilla over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2018VI6 October 2018
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Etna - Versante sud-occidentale earthquake (M4.7), epicentre 3 km away
- 2001VI14 July 2001
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Etna - C.da Calcerana (Adrano) earthquake (M3.5), epicentre 4 km away · observed at Contrada Boschetto
- 2001VI14 July 2001
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Etna - C.da Calcerana (Adrano) earthquake (M3.5), epicentre 4 km away · observed at Contrada Pomice
- 1986VI22 February 1986
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Etna - C.da Calcerana (Adrano) earthquake (M3.5), epicentre 4 km away · observed at Contrada Boschetto
- 1986VI22 February 1986
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Etna - C.da Calcerana (Adrano) earthquake (M3.5), epicentre 3 km away · observed at Contrada Boschetto
- 1984VI15 April 1984
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Etna - Vallone Licodia (S. Maria Licodia) earthquake (M3.5), epicentre 4 km away
- 1983VI-VII27 March 1983
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Etna - C.da Calcerana (Adrano) earthquake (M3.5), epicentre 4 km away · observed at Contrada Boschetto
- 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 89 km away
- 1898VI-VII14 May 1898
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Etna - S. Maria Licodia earthquake (M4.0), epicentre 4 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 5 km away
- 1818VII20 February 1818
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Catanese earthquake (M6.3), epicentre 23 km away
- 1693VII-VIII11 January 1693
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M7.3), epicentre 58 km away
…and 77 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 10 km from Gela-Catania, 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?
Biancavilla 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 region126 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Biancavilla?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Biancavilla area: the latest nearby dates back to 5 days ago.
Is Biancavilla a seismic area?
Biancavilla 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 Biancavilla?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Biancavilla was magnitude 4.9, in 2018.
When was the last quake near Biancavilla?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Biancavilla was 4 days ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)