Earthquakes in Alcamo
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 = 0.138 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Alcamo plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Alcamo
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Alcamo over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2002V6 September 2002
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Tirreno meridionale earthquake (M5.9), epicentre 77 km away · observed at Alcamo Marina
- 2002V6 September 2002
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Tirreno meridionale earthquake (M5.9), epicentre 77 km away
- 1979IV20 January 1979
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Tirreno meridionale earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 82 km away
- 1976IV-V12 October 1976
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Valle del Belice earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 21 km away
- 1968VII25 January 1968
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Valle del Belice earthquake (M5.4), epicentre 29 km away
- 1968VI16 January 1968
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Valle del Belice earthquake (M5.5), epicentre 11 km away
- 1968VII-VIII15 January 1968
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Valle del Belice earthquake (M6.4), epicentre 23 km away
- 1968VII14 January 1968
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Valle del Belice earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 8 km away
- 1968IV14 January 1968
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Valle del Belice earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 13 km away
- 1954IV20 November 1954
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Sicilia centro-occidentale earthquake (M4.2), epicentre 11 km away
- 1940IV15 January 1940
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Tirreno meridionale earthquake (M5.3), epicentre 42 km away
- 1823V5 March 1823
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Sicilia settentrionale earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 122 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 18 km from Mazara-Belice, 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?
Alcamo 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 Trapani1 events · 30gSicily region127 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Alcamo?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Alcamo area: the latest nearby dates back to 2 months ago.
Is Alcamo a seismic area?
Alcamo 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 Alcamo?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Alcamo was magnitude 3.5, in 2020.
When was the last quake near Alcamo?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Alcamo was 2 months ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)