Earthquakes in Valguarnera Caropepe
Seismic activity in the surroundings
30 km radiusINGV catalogue epicentres of the last ~11 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 = 0.089 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Valguarnera Caropepe plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Valguarnera Caropepe
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Valguarnera Caropepe over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2009NF19 December 2009
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Etna - Maletto earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 53 km away
- 2005NF21 November 2005
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Sicilia centrale earthquake (M4.6), epicentre 27 km away
- 2002IV6 September 2002
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Tirreno meridionale earthquake (M5.9), epicentre 113 km away
- 1990III13 December 1990
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 94 km away
- 1980II23 January 1980
Very light: felt only by a few people at rest, on upper floors.
Monti Iblei earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 77 km away
- 1978III15 April 1978
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Golfo di Patti earthquake (M6.0), epicentre 115 km away
- 1977NF5 June 1977
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Monti Nebrodi earthquake (M4.6), epicentre 43 km away
- 1959V23 December 1959
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Piana di Catania earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 49 km away
- 1949II-III8 October 1949
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 71 km away
- 1908VI-VII28 December 1908
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Stretto di Messina earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 134 km away
- 1898NF12 August 1898
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Sicilia nord-orientale earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 115 km away
- 1823IV5 March 1823
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Sicilia settentrionale earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 75 km away
…and one more documented effect 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 18 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?
Valguarnera Caropepe 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 Enna8 events · 30gSicily region203 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Valguarnera Caropepe?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Valguarnera Caropepe area: the latest nearby dates back to 20 days ago.
Is Valguarnera Caropepe a seismic area?
Valguarnera Caropepe 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 Valguarnera Caropepe?
In the last ~11 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Valguarnera Caropepe was magnitude 3.5, in 2023.
When was the last quake near Valguarnera Caropepe?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Valguarnera Caropepe was 20 days ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)