Earthquakes in Monte Argentario
Seismic activity in the surroundings
30 km radiusINGV catalogue epicentres of the last ~11 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 = 0.042 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
Why the ground rarely shakes here
Monte Argentario 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 Monte Argentario plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Monte Argentario
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Monte Argentario over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 1987NF22 January 1987
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Costa pisano-livornese earthquake (M4.2), epicentre 148 km away · observed at Porto Ercole
- 1987NF22 January 1987
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Costa pisano-livornese earthquake (M4.2), epicentre 148 km away · observed at Monte Argentario (Porto Santo Stefano)
- 1980V8 September 1980
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Costa Grossetana earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 32 km away · observed at Porto Ercole
- 1980V8 September 1980
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Costa Grossetana earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 32 km away · observed at Monte Argentario (Porto Santo Stefano)
- 1979NF19 September 1979
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Valnerina earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 153 km away · observed at Monte Argentario (Porto Santo Stefano)
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 127 km from Livorno Hills, 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?
Monte Argentario is among the quietest towns of its province: very few epicentres are recorded here.
Each quake is attributed to the town closest to its epicentre: the numbers describe the area, not the municipal territory alone.
Context
Province of Grosseto9 events · 30gTuscany region53 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Monte Argentario?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Monte Argentario area: the latest nearby dates back to 5 months ago.
Is Monte Argentario a seismic area?
Monte Argentario 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 Monte Argentario?
In the last ~11 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Monte Argentario was magnitude 2.4, in 2016.
When was the last quake near Monte Argentario?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Monte Argentario was 85 months ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)