Earthquakes in Piedimonte Etneo
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 = 0.226 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Piedimonte Etneo plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Piedimonte Etneo
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Piedimonte Etneo over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2002V27 October 2002
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Etna - Piano Provenzana (Linguaglossa) earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 6 km away
- 2002V27 October 2002
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Etna - Piano Provenzana (Linguaglossa) earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 6 km away · observed at Vena
- 1990V-VI13 December 1990
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 61 km away
- 1985V25 December 1985
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Etna - Piano Provenzana (Linguaglossa) earthquake (M4.2), epicentre 6 km away · observed at Presa
- 1985V25 December 1985
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Etna - Piano Provenzana (Linguaglossa) earthquake (M4.2), epicentre 6 km away · observed at Vena
- 1978VI15 April 1978
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Golfo di Patti earthquake (M6.0), epicentre 66 km away
- 1978V-VI15 April 1978
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Golfo di Patti earthquake (M6.0), epicentre 66 km away · observed at Presa
- 1923V-VI15 November 1923
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Etna - Piedimonte Etneo earthquake (M3.5), epicentre 7 km away
- 1923V-VI17 June 1923
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Etna - Piedimonte Etneo earthquake (M2.9), epicentre 6 km away
- 1908VII-VIII28 December 1908
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Stretto di Messina earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 64 km away
- 1818VIII20 February 1818
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Catanese earthquake (M6.3), epicentre 22 km away
- 1693X11 January 1693
Completely destructive: most buildings are destroyed.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M7.3), epicentre 73 km away
…and 108 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 14 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?
Piedimonte Etneo 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 Piedimonte Etneo?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Piedimonte Etneo area: the latest nearby dates back to 5 days ago.
Is Piedimonte Etneo a seismic area?
Piedimonte Etneo 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 Piedimonte Etneo?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Piedimonte Etneo was magnitude 4.9, in 2018.
When was the last quake near Piedimonte Etneo?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Piedimonte Etneo was 3 days ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)