Earthquakes in Grammichele
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 = 0.215 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Grammichele plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Grammichele
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Grammichele over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 1997V30 July 1997
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Monti Iblei earthquake (M4.5), epicentre 15 km away
- 1990IV-V16 December 1990
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Ionio meridionale earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 77 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 73 km away
- 1978V15 April 1978
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Golfo di Patti earthquake (M6.0), epicentre 136 km away
- 1908VI28 December 1908
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Stretto di Messina earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 140 km away
- 1903V13 July 1903
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Calatino earthquake (M4.1), epicentre 8 km away
- 1897V28 May 1897
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Ionio earthquake (M5.5), epicentre 345 km away
- 1895V-VI13 April 1895
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Monti Iblei ? earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 18 km away
- 1818VII1 March 1818
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Monti Iblei earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 13 km away
- 1693XI11 January 1693
Catastrophic: very few buildings remain standing; landslides and ground cracks.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M7.3), epicentre 37 km away · observed at Occhiolà
- 1693VII-VIII9 January 1693
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M6.1), epicentre 39 km away · observed at Occhiolà
- 1542X10 December 1542
Completely destructive: most buildings are destroyed.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M6.7), epicentre 30 km away · observed at Occhiolà
…and 13 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 8 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?
Grammichele is about average for its province in recorded quakes.
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 Grammichele?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Grammichele area: the latest nearby dates back to 27 days ago.
Is Grammichele a seismic area?
Grammichele 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 Grammichele?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Grammichele was magnitude 3.9, in 2022.
When was the last quake near Grammichele?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Grammichele was 27 days ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)