Earthquakes in Palazzolo Acreide
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 = 0.273 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Palazzolo Acreide plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Palazzolo Acreide
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Palazzolo Acreide 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 15 km away
- 2012IV27 June 2012
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Monti Iblei earthquake (M3.9), epicentre 11 km away
- 2004IV30 December 2004
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Monti Iblei earthquake (M3.8), epicentre 34 km away
- 2002IV6 September 2002
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Tirreno meridionale earthquake (M5.9), epicentre 183 km away
- 1997V30 July 1997
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Monti Iblei earthquake (M4.5), epicentre 24 km away
- 1990V13 December 1990
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 48 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 24 km away
- 1897V11 February 1897
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Ionio meridionale earthquake (M5.0), epicentre 120 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 47 km away
- 1693X-XI11 January 1693
Catastrophic: very few buildings remain standing; landslides and ground cracks.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M7.3), epicentre 8 km away
- 1693VII-VIII9 January 1693
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M6.1), epicentre 9 km away
- 1542VIII-IX10 December 1542
Destructive: many buildings partly or fully collapse.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M6.7), epicentre 16 km away
…and 19 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 sits above this source area: the deep structure where this area's earthquakes can originate.
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?
Palazzolo Acreide 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 Siracusa6 events · 30gSicily region127 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Palazzolo Acreide?
Yes: today the Palazzolo Acreide area (town and surroundings) recorded 1 quakes; the most recent 56 minutes ago.
Is Palazzolo Acreide a seismic area?
Palazzolo Acreide 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 Palazzolo Acreide?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Palazzolo Acreide was magnitude 4.2, in 2016.
When was the last quake near Palazzolo Acreide?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Palazzolo Acreide 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)