Earthquakes in San Giovanni la Punta
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 = 0.222 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is San Giovanni la Punta plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of San Giovanni la Punta
The earthquakes that were actually felt in San Giovanni la Punta 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 41 km away
- 1988V21 November 1988
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Etna - C.da Trigona (Trecastagni) earthquake (M2.8), epicentre 4 km away · observed at Fisichelle di Sopra
- 1988V21 November 1988
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Etna - C.da Trigona (Trecastagni) earthquake (M2.8), epicentre 4 km away · observed at Contrada Sciara Puleo
- 1983V-VI20 July 1983
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Etna - Viagrande earthquake (M4.3), epicentre 5 km away · observed at Villaggio Inchiuso
- 1983V-VI20 July 1983
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Etna - Viagrande earthquake (M4.3), epicentre 5 km away
- 1983V20 July 1983
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Etna - Viagrande earthquake (M4.3), epicentre 5 km away · observed at Trappeto
- 1980VI28 September 1980
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Etna - C.da Inchiuso (S. Giovanni la Punta) earthquake (M3.6), epicentre 3 km away · observed at Contrada Sciara Puleo
- 1980VI28 September 1980
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Etna - C.da Inchiuso (S. Giovanni la Punta) earthquake (M3.6), epicentre 3 km away · observed at Fisichelle di Sopra
- 1914V8 May 1914
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Etna - Linera (S. Venerina) earthquake (M5.2), epicentre 11 km away
- 1848VI11 January 1848
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Golfo di Catania earthquake (M5.5), epicentre 21 km away
- 1818VII-VIII20 February 1818
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Catanese earthquake (M6.3), epicentre 5 km away
- 1693X-XI11 January 1693
Catastrophic: very few buildings remain standing; landslides and ground cracks.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M7.3), epicentre 48 km away
…and 72 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?
San Giovanni la Punta is among the quietest towns of its province: very few epicentres are recorded here.
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 San Giovanni la Punta?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the San Giovanni la Punta area: the latest nearby dates back to 5 days ago.
Is San Giovanni la Punta a seismic area?
San Giovanni la Punta 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 San Giovanni la Punta?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of San Giovanni la Punta was magnitude 4.9, in 2018.
When was the last quake near San Giovanni la Punta?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of San Giovanni la Punta 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)