Earthquakes in Pantelleria
Canale di Sicilia meridionale [Mare]
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 quietest class: the probability of strong earthquakes is very low.
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 = 0.019 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
Why the ground rarely shakes here
Pantelleria sits in one of the most stable areas of Italy: far from the boundary between the Eurasian and African plates, on ancient, rigid crust that hardly accumulates tectonic stress any more.
That is why earthquakes here are rare and almost always weak: a small geological privilege.
The “area” is Pantelleria plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Pantelleria
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Pantelleria over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 1995NF29 May 1995
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Isole Egadi earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 150 km away
- 1978IV19 January 1978
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Stretto di Sicilia earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 100 km away
- 1972NF27 December 1972
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Valle del Belice earthquake (M4.3), epicentre 136 km away
- 1968F15 January 1968
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Valle del Belice earthquake (M5.4), epicentre 140 km away
- 1894V-VI16 March 1894
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Isola di Pantelleria earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 6 km away
- 1891V-VI17 October 1891
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Isola di Pantelleria earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 4 km away · observed at Karuscia
- 1891V-VI17 October 1891
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Isola di Pantelleria earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 4 km away · observed at Sant'Elmo
- 1891IV17 October 1891
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Isola di Pantelleria earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 4 km away
- 1890V-VI25 May 1890
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Isola di Pantelleria earthquake (M4.7), epicentre 2 km away · observed at Tracino
- 1890V-VI25 May 1890
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Isola di Pantelleria earthquake (M4.7), epicentre 2 km away · observed at Gadir
- 1890V-VI25 May 1890
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Isola di Pantelleria earthquake (M4.7), epicentre 2 km away · observed at Rackale
- 1890V-VI25 May 1890
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Isola di Pantelleria earthquake (M4.7), epicentre 2 km away · observed at Scauri
…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 4 km from PantelleriaN, 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
53 eventsEarthquakes in the area
How does it compare with the surroundings?
Pantelleria sits in one of the most seismically active areas of its province: quakes are a familiar presence here, almost always light.
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 Pantelleria?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Pantelleria area: the latest nearby dates back to 10 months ago.
Is Pantelleria a seismic area?
Pantelleria is classified in seismic zone 4 by the Civil Protection. The quietest class: the probability of strong earthquakes is very low.
What was the strongest earthquake near Pantelleria?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Pantelleria was magnitude 3.2, in 2016.
When was the last quake near Pantelleria?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Pantelleria was 11 months ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)