Earthquakes in Palagonia
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 = 0.218 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Palagonia plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Palagonia
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Palagonia over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 1990VI13 December 1990
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 59 km away
- 1990IV-V29 October 1990
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Stretto di Sicilia earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 124 km away
- 1967V31 October 1967
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Monti Nebrodi earthquake (M5.3), epicentre 65 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 121 km away
- 1897V28 May 1897
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Ionio earthquake (M5.5), epicentre 332 km away
- 1897V11 February 1897
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Ionio meridionale earthquake (M5.0), epicentre 138 km away
- 1895IV-V13 April 1895
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Monti Iblei ? earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 31 km away
- 1894V16 November 1894
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Calabria meridionale earthquake (M6.1), epicentre 143 km away
- 1892V22 January 1892
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Monti Iblei earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 18 km away
- 1878IV-V4 October 1878
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Mineo earthquake (M4.3), epicentre 11 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 16 km away
- 1693X11 January 1693
Completely destructive: most buildings are destroyed.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M7.3), epicentre 32 km away
…and 17 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 2 km from Ragusa-Palagonia, 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?
Palagonia 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 Palagonia?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Palagonia area: the latest nearby dates back to 2 months ago.
Is Palagonia a seismic area?
Palagonia 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 Palagonia?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Palagonia was magnitude 4.3, in 2021.
When was the last quake near Palagonia?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Palagonia was 1 month ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)