Province of Catania

Earthquakes in Mazzarrone

1.9
very light
LATEST QUAKE

6 km East of Ragusa

21 days ago · 4 Aug, 12:31
Depth 27 km

Seismic activity in the surroundings

30 km radius
20
days since the last quake nearby
329
quakes recorded since 2014
~13 days
on average, one quake every
4.4
The strongest within 30 km
8 km West of Vittoria
69 months ago · 22 Dec, 21:27

INGV catalogue epicentres of the last ~12 years, within the given radius from the town centre.

How seismic is this area?

Zone2
Seismic zone 2

A zone where strong earthquakes are possible: new buildings follow strict anti-seismic criteria.

Official Civil Protection classification (upd. 2025), used for building codes.

Medium
Expected shaking, compared with the other Italian municipalities (INGV MPS04 model)

Hazard describes the long-term expected shaking: it is not a forecast. Technical value: ag = 0.209 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).

Closest earthquake
Earthquake details
31
In the town
total on record
3
In the town
last 12 months
40
In the area
last 12 months
M4.4
Strongest ever
In the area

The “area” is Mazzarrone plus nearby towns.

Last earthquake: 1 month ago · 3,989 inhabitants

The seismic history of Mazzarrone

The earthquakes that were actually felt in Mazzarrone over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).

  1. 2005NF21 November 2005

    Imperceptible: only instruments record it.

    Sicilia centrale earthquake (M4.6), epicentre 71 km away

  2. 2004III-IV30 December 2004

    Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.

    Monti Iblei earthquake (M3.8), epicentre 25 km away

  3. 2004NF5 May 2004

    Imperceptible: only instruments record it.

    Isole Eolie earthquake (M5.4), epicentre 164 km away

  4. 1997IV-V30 July 1997

    Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.

    Monti Iblei earthquake (M4.5), epicentre 23 km away

  5. 1990NF16 December 1990

    Imperceptible: only instruments record it.

    Ionio meridionale earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 83 km away

  6. 1990V13 December 1990

    Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.

    Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 81 km away

  7. 1990III-IV29 October 1990

    Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.

    Stretto di Sicilia earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 94 km away

  8. 1959III23 December 1959

    Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.

    Piana di Catania earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 43 km away

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.

16937.3
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake
11 January 1693 · 40 km from here
XICatastrophic: very few buildings remain standing; landslides and ground cracks.
15426.7
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake
10 December 1542 · 37 km from here
XCompletely destructive: most buildings are destroyed.
11696.5
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake
4 February 1169 · 37 km from here
XCompletely destructive: most buildings are destroyed.
16936.1
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake
9 January 1693 · 42 km from here
VIII-IXDestructive: many buildings partly or fully collapse.

Source: Parametric Catalogue of Italian Earthquakes CPTI15 (INGV, CC BY 4.0).

The closest seismic structure

Ragusa-Palagonia

The town lies about 14 km from Ragusa-Palagonia, one of the seismic structures mapped by INGV geologists.

estimated maximum magnitude 6.9between 1 and 23 km deep

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

August 20262eventsmax 1.9
Oct
Jan '25
Apr
Jul
Oct
Jan '26
Apr
Jul

Earthquake map

60 events
Magnitude:lightweakmoderatestrong

Earthquakes in the area

1.9
6 km East of Ragusa
24 km South-East · 27 km
21 days ago
4 Aug, 12:31
1.6
6 km East of Ragusa
24 km South-East · 25 km
21 days ago
4 Aug, 12:28
1.5
27 days ago
29 Jul, 11:09
1.3
2 km South-East of Mazzarrone
2 km South-East · 23 km
1 month ago
23 Jul, 21:45
1.9
4 km East of San Michele di Ganzaria
24 km North-West · 32 km
1 month ago
14 Jul, 19:14
1.3
2 months ago
10 Jul, 10:32
1.5
6 km South-West of Mineo
23 km North · 27 km
2 months ago
2 Jul, 22:01
1.1
5 km South of Buscemi
28 km East · 25 km
2 months ago
18 Jun, 01:56
1.5
8 km West of Chiaramonte Gulfi
5 km South-West · 21 km
2 months ago
14 Jun, 23:58
1.3
5 km West of Modica
27 km South-East · 23 km
2 months ago
12 Jun, 00:50

Nearby towns

How does it compare with the surroundings?

Mazzarrone is about average for its province in recorded quakes.

quietermore active
More epicentres than 54% of the 58 towns in the province.
Mazzarrone31
Nearby towns average25

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 · 30g
ISTAT code: 087056

Frequently asked questions

Were there earthquakes today in Mazzarrone?

No, no quakes were recorded today in the Mazzarrone area: the latest nearby dates back to 21 days ago.

Is Mazzarrone a seismic area?

Mazzarrone 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 Mazzarrone?

In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Mazzarrone was magnitude 4.4, in 2020.

When was the last quake near Mazzarrone?

The last quake recorded within 30 km of Mazzarrone was 21 days ago.

Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.

Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)

We use cookies to analyse site traffic and improve your experience.

Privacy PolicyCookie Policy