Earthquakes in Sortino
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 Sortino plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Sortino
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Sortino over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 1990VI16 December 1990
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Ionio meridionale earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 41 km away
- 1990VI-VII13 December 1990
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 40 km away
- 1980V23 January 1980
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Monti Iblei earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 33 km away
- 1964V2 May 1964
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Monti Iblei earthquake (M4.2), epicentre 20 km away
- 1959V-VI23 December 1959
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Piana di Catania earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 27 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 40 km away
- 1908VI28 December 1908
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Stretto di Messina earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 126 km away
- 1897V11 February 1897
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Ionio meridionale earthquake (M5.0), epicentre 114 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 37 km away
- 1693XI11 January 1693
Catastrophic: very few buildings remain standing; landslides and ground cracks.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M7.3), epicentre 2 km away
- 1693VIII9 January 1693
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M6.1), epicentre 0 km away
- 1542IX10 December 1542
Destructive: many buildings partly or fully collapse.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M6.7), epicentre 12 km away
…and 21 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?
Sortino 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 Sortino?
Yes: today the Sortino area (town and surroundings) recorded 1 quakes; the most recent 3 hours ago.
Is Sortino a seismic area?
Sortino 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 Sortino?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Sortino was magnitude 4.2, in 2016.
When was the last quake near Sortino?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Sortino was 3 hours ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)