Earthquakes in Pozzallo
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 Pozzallo plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Pozzallo
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Pozzallo 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 45 km away
- 2016IV8 February 2016
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Monti Iblei earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 27 km away
- 2005NF21 November 2005
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Sicilia centrale earthquake (M4.6), epicentre 117 km away
- 2004IV30 December 2004
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Monti Iblei earthquake (M3.8), epicentre 22 km away
- 1997NF25 March 1997
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Ionio meridionale earthquake (M4.5), epicentre 92 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
- 1990NF29 October 1990
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Stretto di Sicilia earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 57 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 19 km away
- 1949V-VI8 October 1949
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 25 km away
- 1908IV-V28 December 1908
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Stretto di Messina earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 174 km away
- 1898III3 November 1898
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Calatino earthquake (M4.5), epicentre 64 km away
- 1896V2 July 1896
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Stretto di Sicilia earthquake (M4.0), epicentre 27 km away
…and 3 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 12 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?
Pozzallo records more quakes 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 region126 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Pozzallo?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Pozzallo area: the latest nearby dates back to 6 days ago.
Is Pozzallo a seismic area?
Pozzallo 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 Pozzallo?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Pozzallo was magnitude 4.2, in 2016.
When was the last quake near Pozzallo?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Pozzallo 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)