Earthquakes in Riposto
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 = 0.216 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Riposto plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Riposto
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Riposto over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 1990V13 December 1990
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 48 km away
- 1989V29 January 1989
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Etna - Codavolpe (S. Venerina) earthquake (M3.4), epicentre 3 km away · observed at Carruba
- 1989V29 January 1989
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Etna - Codavolpe (S. Venerina) earthquake (M3.4), epicentre 3 km away · observed at Rovettazzo
- 1989V29 January 1989
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Etna - Codavolpe (S. Venerina) earthquake (M3.4), epicentre 3 km away · observed at Malpassoti
- 1981V-VI29 July 1981
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Etna - Pozzillo (Acireale) earthquake (M3.7), epicentre 3 km away · observed at Grotte
- 1959V-VI23 December 1959
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Piana di Catania earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 46 km away
- 1952V19 March 1952
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Etna - Linera (S. Venerina) earthquake (M4.0), epicentre 6 km away · observed at Malpassoti
- 1914VII8 May 1914
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Etna - Linera (S. Venerina) earthquake (M5.2), epicentre 6 km away · observed at Grotte
- 1908VII28 December 1908
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Stretto di Messina earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 66 km away
- 1879VI26 July 1879
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Etna - Macchia (Giarre) earthquake (M3.2), epicentre 3 km away
- 1865VII19 July 1865
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Etna - Fondo Macchia (Giarre) earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 4 km away · observed at Fondo della Torre
- 1818VI-VII20 February 1818
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Catanese earthquake (M6.3), epicentre 12 km away
…and 102 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 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?
Riposto 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 region126 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Riposto?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Riposto area: the latest nearby dates back to 5 days ago.
Is Riposto a seismic area?
Riposto 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 Riposto?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Riposto was magnitude 4.9, in 2018.
When was the last quake near Riposto?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Riposto 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)