Earthquakes in Ispica
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 = 0.122 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Ispica plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Ispica
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Ispica over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2020IV22 December 2020
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Ragusano earthquake (M4.5), epicentre 52 km away
- 2016IV8 February 2016
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Monti Iblei earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 29 km away
- 2004IV30 December 2004
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Monti Iblei earthquake (M3.8), epicentre 28 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 79 km away
- 1980V-VI23 January 1980
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Monti Iblei earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 23 km away
- 1949VI8 October 1949
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 31 km away
- 1937V6 March 1937
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Monti Iblei earthquake (M4.5), epicentre 34 km away
- 1903V-VI10 February 1903
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M4.3), epicentre 21 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 83 km away
- 1818VII-VIII1 March 1818
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Monti Iblei earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 56 km away
- 1693X11 January 1693
Completely destructive: most buildings are destroyed.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M7.3), epicentre 47 km away
- 1693VII9 January 1693
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M6.1), epicentre 48 km away
…and 12 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 19 km from Scicli-Giarratana, 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?
Ispica is about average for its province in recorded quakes.
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 Ispica?
Yes: today the Ispica area (town and surroundings) recorded 1 quakes; the most recent 15 minutes ago.
Is Ispica a seismic area?
Ispica 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 Ispica?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Ispica was magnitude 4.2, in 2016.
When was the last quake near Ispica?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Ispica was 6 days ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)