Earthquakes in Buscemi
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?
The most severe class: strong earthquakes are possible here and buildings follow the strictest anti-seismic rules.
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 = 0.272 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Buscemi plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Buscemi
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Buscemi over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2016IV-V8 February 2016
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Monti Iblei earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 12 km away
- 2005NF21 November 2005
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Sicilia centrale earthquake (M4.6), epicentre 88 km away
- 2004III-IV30 December 2004
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Monti Iblei earthquake (M3.8), epicentre 28 km away
- 2004NF5 May 2004
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Isole Eolie earthquake (M5.4), epicentre 163 km away
- 2001III-IV26 May 2001
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Ionio meridionale earthquake (M4.5), epicentre 133 km away
- 1997IV-V30 July 1997
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Monti Iblei earthquake (M4.5), epicentre 16 km away
- 1997III-IV25 March 1997
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Ionio meridionale earthquake (M4.5), epicentre 75 km away
- 1990V16 December 1990
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Ionio meridionale earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 58 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 56 km away
- 1980IV23 January 1980
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Monti Iblei earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 20 km away
- 1978IV15 April 1978
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Golfo di Patti earthquake (M6.0), epicentre 146 km away
- 1693XI11 January 1693
Catastrophic: very few buildings remain standing; landslides and ground cracks.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M7.3), epicentre 15 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 1 km from Monte Lauro, 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?
Buscemi 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 Siracusa6 events · 30gSicily region127 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Buscemi?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Buscemi area: the latest nearby dates back to 6 days ago.
Is Buscemi a seismic area?
Buscemi is classified in seismic zone 1 by the Civil Protection. The most severe class: strong earthquakes are possible here and buildings follow the strictest anti-seismic rules.
What was the strongest earthquake near Buscemi?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Buscemi was magnitude 4.2, in 2016.
When was the last quake near Buscemi?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Buscemi 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)