Earthquakes in Motta Sant'Anastasia
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 = 0.201 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Motta Sant'Anastasia plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Motta Sant'Anastasia
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Motta Sant'Anastasia over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2018IV26 December 2018
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Etna - Fleri earthquake (M5.0), epicentre 25 km away
- 2006III20 May 2006
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Etna - Versante sud-occidentale earthquake (M3.9), epicentre 21 km away
- 2005NF31 October 2005
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Etna - Trecastagni earthquake (M3.8), epicentre 20 km away
- 2001IV9 January 2001
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Etna - Zafferana Etnea earthquake (M3.7), epicentre 30 km away
- 1998III10 January 1998
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Etna - Versante sud-occidentale earthquake (M4.0), epicentre 32 km away
- 1990V13 December 1990
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 46 km away
- 1987II-III6 May 1987
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Etna - Vallone Licodia (S. Maria Licodia) earthquake (M3.1), epicentre 21 km away
- 1931III3 August 1931
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Etna - Fiandaca (Acireale) earthquake (M3.5), epicentre 25 km away
- 1894IV-V16 November 1894
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Calabria meridionale earthquake (M6.1), epicentre 123 km away
- 1848VII11 January 1848
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Golfo di Catania earthquake (M5.5), epicentre 27 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
- 1693X-XI11 January 1693
Catastrophic: very few buildings remain standing; landslides and ground cracks.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M7.3), epicentre 36 km away
…and 11 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?
Motta Sant'Anastasia 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 Motta Sant'Anastasia?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Motta Sant'Anastasia area: the latest nearby dates back to 21 days ago.
Is Motta Sant'Anastasia a seismic area?
Motta Sant'Anastasia 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 Motta Sant'Anastasia?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Motta Sant'Anastasia was magnitude 4.9, in 2018.
When was the last quake near Motta Sant'Anastasia?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Motta Sant'Anastasia 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)