Earthquakes in Comiso
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 = 0.206 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Comiso plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Comiso
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Comiso 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 17 km away
- 2016IV8 February 2016
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Monti Iblei earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 24 km away
- 2004IV30 December 2004
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Monti Iblei earthquake (M3.8), epicentre 13 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 82 km away
- 1980IV23 January 1980
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Monti Iblei earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 20 km away
- 1949V8 October 1949
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 11 km away
- 1937V6 March 1937
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Monti Iblei earthquake (M4.5), epicentre 9 km away
- 1908V28 December 1908
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Stretto di Messina earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 162 km away
- 1895IV-V13 April 1895
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Monti Iblei ? earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 14 km away
- 1848V-VI11 January 1848
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Golfo di Catania earthquake (M5.5), epicentre 77 km away
- 1818VII-VIII1 March 1818
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Monti Iblei earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 29 km away
- 1693VIII-IX11 January 1693
Destructive: many buildings partly or fully collapse.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M7.3), epicentre 41 km away
…and 11 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 11 km from Ragusa-Palagonia, 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?
Comiso 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 Ragusa3 events · 30gSicily region127 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Comiso?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Comiso area: the latest nearby dates back to 6 days ago.
Is Comiso a seismic area?
Comiso 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 Comiso?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Comiso was magnitude 4.4, in 2020.
When was the last quake near Comiso?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Comiso 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)