Earthquakes in Merano
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 = 0.044 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
Why the ground rarely shakes here
Merano 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 Merano plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Merano
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Merano over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2001V-VI17 July 2001
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Val Venosta earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 9 km away
- 1989IV13 September 1989
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Prealpi Vicentine earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 87 km away
- 1983IV9 November 1983
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Parmense earthquake (M5.0), epicentre 224 km away
- 1980IV25 January 1980
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Val Venosta earthquake (M4.0), epicentre 16 km away
- 1976VI11 September 1976
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Friuli earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 164 km away
- 1976V-VI6 May 1976
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Friuli earthquake (M6.5), epicentre 156 km away
- 1914IV27 October 1914
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Lucchesia earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 309 km away
- 1909IV13 January 1909
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Emilia Romagna orientale earthquake (M5.4), epicentre 235 km away
- 1909IV13 January 1909
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Emilia Romagna orientale earthquake (M5.4), epicentre 235 km away · observed at Castello Labers
- 1902V19 June 1902
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Alpi Retiche earthquake (M5.0), epicentre 19 km away
- 1902IV-V19 June 1902
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Alpi Retiche earthquake (M5.0), epicentre 19 km away · observed at Castello Labers
- 1873V29 June 1873
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Alpago Cansiglio earthquake (M6.3), epicentre 108 km away
…and 17 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 28 km from Brenner, 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
33 eventsEarthquakes in the area
Nearby towns
How does it compare with the surroundings?
Merano 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 Bolzano13 events · 30gTrentino-Alto Adige region28 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Merano?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Merano area: the latest nearby dates back to 5 months ago.
Is Merano a seismic area?
Merano 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 Merano?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Merano was magnitude 2.9, in 2025.
When was the last quake near Merano?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Merano was 26 days ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)