Earthquakes in Palaia
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?
Medium-low seismicity: strong quakes are rare, but not impossible.
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 = 0.141 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Palaia plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Palaia
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Palaia over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 1984IV22 April 1984
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Costa pisano-livornese earthquake (M4.6), epicentre 44 km away
- 1920VI-VII7 September 1920
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Garfagnana earthquake (M6.5), epicentre 75 km away · observed at Forcoli
- 1920VI7 September 1920
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Garfagnana earthquake (M6.5), epicentre 75 km away
- 1914V27 October 1914
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Lucchesia earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 37 km away
- 1909V13 January 1909
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Emilia Romagna orientale earthquake (M5.4), epicentre 131 km away · observed at Partino
- 1909F13 January 1909
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Emilia Romagna orientale earthquake (M5.4), epicentre 131 km away · observed at Forcoli
- 1899V26 June 1899
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Valle del Bisenzio earthquake (M5.0), epicentre 48 km away
- 1873IV-V17 September 1873
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Appennino tosco-ligure earthquake (M5.3), epicentre 101 km away · observed at Agliati
- 1873V12 March 1873
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Appennino marchigiano earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 208 km away · observed at Collelungo
- 1873V12 March 1873
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Appennino marchigiano earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 208 km away
- 1846VI14 August 1846
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Colline Pisane earthquake (M6.0), epicentre 22 km away
- 1846VI14 August 1846
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Colline Pisane earthquake (M6.0), epicentre 22 km away · observed at Collelungo
…and 7 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 23 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?
Palaia 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 Pisa71 events · 30gTuscany region112 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Palaia?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Palaia area: the latest nearby dates back to 19 days ago.
Is Palaia a seismic area?
Palaia is classified in seismic zone 3 by the Civil Protection. Medium-low seismicity: strong quakes are rare, but not impossible.
What was the strongest earthquake near Palaia?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Palaia was magnitude 3.9, in 2016.
When was the last quake near Palaia?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Palaia was 19 days ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)