Earthquakes in Giarre
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 = 0.216 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Giarre plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Giarre
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Giarre over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 1971VIII21 April 1971
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Etna - Fondo Macchia (Giarre) earthquake (M4.3), epicentre 2 km away · observed at Cerza Spirdo
- 1971VIII21 April 1971
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Etna - Fondo Macchia (Giarre) earthquake (M4.3), epicentre 2 km away · observed at Fondo Macchia
- 1911VIII-IX15 October 1911
Destructive: many buildings partly or fully collapse.
Etna - Fondo Macchia (Giarre) earthquake (M4.6), epicentre 1 km away · observed at Fondo Macchia
- 1865IX19 July 1865
Destructive: many buildings partly or fully collapse.
Etna - Fondo Macchia (Giarre) earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 1 km away · observed at Fondo Macchia
- 1865VIII19 July 1865
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Etna - Fondo Macchia (Giarre) earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 1 km away · observed at Croce
- 1865VIII19 July 1865
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Etna - Fondo Macchia (Giarre) earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 1 km away · observed at Sciarra San Giovanni
- 1865VIII19 July 1865
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Etna - Fondo Macchia (Giarre) earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 1 km away · observed at Baglio
- 1865VIII19 July 1865
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Etna - Fondo Macchia (Giarre) earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 1 km away · observed at Cerza Spirdo
- 1865VIII19 July 1865
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Etna - Fondo Macchia (Giarre) earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 1 km away · observed at Moscarello
- 1818VIII20 February 1818
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Catanese earthquake (M6.3), epicentre 12 km away · observed at San Leonardello
- 1818VIII20 February 1818
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Catanese earthquake (M6.3), epicentre 12 km away · observed at Santa Maria la Strada
- 1805VIII-IX11 July 1805
Destructive: many buildings partly or fully collapse.
Etna - Fondo Macchia (Giarre) earthquake (M4.6), epicentre 2 km away · observed at Fondo Macchia
…and 378 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 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?
Giarre 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 Catania23 events · 30gSicily region127 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Giarre?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Giarre area: the latest nearby dates back to 5 days ago.
Is Giarre a seismic area?
Giarre 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 Giarre?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Giarre was magnitude 4.9, in 2018.
When was the last quake near Giarre?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Giarre 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)