Earthquakes in Salemi
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 = 0.108 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Salemi plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Salemi
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Salemi over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2002IV-V6 September 2002
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Tirreno meridionale earthquake (M5.9), epicentre 97 km away
- 1998III17 January 1998
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Golfo di Castellammare earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 63 km away
- 1995III29 May 1995
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Isole Egadi earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 70 km away
- 1981IV7 June 1981
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Mazara del Vallo earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 35 km away
- 1976V12 October 1976
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Valle del Belice earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 3 km away
- 1972V-VI27 December 1972
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Valle del Belice earthquake (M4.3), epicentre 15 km away
- 1968V1 September 1968
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Valle del Belice earthquake (M4.6), epicentre 15 km away
- 1968V12 February 1968
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Valle del Belice earthquake (M4.7), epicentre 14 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 23 km away
- 1968VIII-IX15 January 1968
Destructive: many buildings partly or fully collapse.
Valle del Belice earthquake (M6.4), epicentre 15 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 20 km away
- 1968III14 January 1968
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Valle del Belice earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 17 km away
…and 5 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 6 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?
Salemi 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 Trapani1 events · 30gSicily region127 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Salemi?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Salemi area: the latest nearby dates back to 1 month ago.
Is Salemi a seismic area?
Salemi 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 Salemi?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Salemi was magnitude 3.5, in 2020.
When was the last quake near Salemi?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Salemi was 1 month ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)