Earthquakes in Petralia Sottana
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 = 0.105 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Petralia Sottana plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Petralia Sottana
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Petralia Sottana over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2002V6 September 2002
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Tirreno meridionale earthquake (M5.9), epicentre 76 km away
- 2001IV-V25 November 2001
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Monti Madonie earthquake (M4.7), epicentre 13 km away
- 2001IV-V25 November 2001
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Monti Madonie earthquake (M4.7), epicentre 13 km away · observed at Rifugio Marini
- 1976V17 September 1976
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Monti Nebrodi earthquake (M4.5), epicentre 26 km away
- 1968VI15 January 1968
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Valle del Belice earthquake (M6.4), epicentre 92 km away
- 1967VI31 October 1967
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Monti Nebrodi earthquake (M5.3), epicentre 37 km away
- 1934VI-VII11 September 1934
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Sicilia centro-settentrionale earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 59 km away
- 1912V-VI30 January 1912
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Monti Madonie earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 7 km away
- 1823VII5 March 1823
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Sicilia settentrionale earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 58 km away
- 1819VI24 February 1819
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Monti Madonie earthquake (M5.4), epicentre 23 km away
- 1818VII-VIII8 September 1818
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Monti Madonie earthquake (M5.3), epicentre 10 km away
- 1693VII-VIII11 January 1693
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M7.3), epicentre 109 km away
…and 19 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 56 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?
Petralia Sottana sits in one of the most seismically active areas of its province: quakes are a familiar presence here, almost always light.
Each quake is attributed to the town closest to its epicentre: the numbers describe the area, not the municipal territory alone.
Context
Province of Palermo13 events · 30gSicily region127 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Petralia Sottana?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Petralia Sottana area: the latest nearby dates back to 21 hours ago.
Is Petralia Sottana a seismic area?
Petralia Sottana 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 Petralia Sottana?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Petralia Sottana was magnitude 3.8, in 2020.
When was the last quake near Petralia Sottana?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Petralia Sottana was 21 hours ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)