Earthquakes in Acate
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 = 0.148 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Acate plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Acate
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Acate over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2020IV-V22 December 2020
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Ragusano earthquake (M4.5), epicentre 10 km away
- 2016IV8 February 2016
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Monti Iblei earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 38 km away
- 2004III-IV30 December 2004
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Monti Iblei earthquake (M3.8), epicentre 26 km away
- 1990VI13 December 1990
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 93 km away
- 1980III-IV23 January 1980
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Monti Iblei earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 34 km away
- 1949V8 October 1949
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 24 km away
- 1908V28 December 1908
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Stretto di Messina earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 167 km away
- 1903V13 July 1903
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Calatino earthquake (M4.1), epicentre 19 km away
- 1897III28 May 1897
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Ionio earthquake (M5.5), epicentre 359 km away
- 1895V-VI13 April 1895
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Monti Iblei ? earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 23 km away
- 1848IV11 January 1848
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Golfo di Catania earthquake (M5.5), epicentre 85 km away
- 1693X-XI11 January 1693
Catastrophic: very few buildings remain standing; landslides and ground cracks.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M7.3), epicentre 52 km away
…and 2 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 17 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?
Acate is quieter 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 Ragusa3 events · 30gSicily region127 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Acate?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Acate area: the latest nearby dates back to 21 days ago.
Is Acate a seismic area?
Acate 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 Acate?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Acate was magnitude 4.4, in 2020.
When was the last quake near Acate?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Acate was 21 days ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)