Earthquake Monitoring — Italy and Southern Italy
All seismic events in real time from the INGV network, with a dedicated section for Southern Italy: Calabria, Sicily, Tyrrhenian Sea and Ionian Sea.
On August 1, 2026 at 01:20 (Italian time, 23:20 UTC) an earthquake of magnitude 3.1 (Md) was recorded by INGV in the Campi Flegrei area, at a depth of 0.6 km. Location reviewed by seismologists, based on 20 seismic stations. Source: INGV — Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology).
Official INGV report for this earthquake →«Alle ore 19:46 italiane (17:46 UTC) del 31 luglio 2026, nell’area dei Campi Flegrei, è avvenuto un terremoto di magnitudo Md 4.7, ad una profondità pari a circa 3 km,»Read the full report on INGVterremoti →
How to cite this data
ISIDe Working Group (2007), Italian Seismological Instrumental and Parametric Database (ISIDe), Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV). https://doi.org/10.13127/ISIDE — event no. 46730692 (magnitude Md 3.1), accessed on August 1, 2026.
Seismic data © INGV — ISIDe database (DOI 10.13127/ISIDE), distributed under CC-BY 4.0 license. Card descriptions are generated automatically by SinoCloud from INGV parametric data; each card links to the official event page on terremoti.ingv.it.
| M | Location | Depth | Date |
|---|
Understanding earthquakes: magnitude, energy and depth
Magnitude measures the energy released by an earthquake on a logarithmic scale: each extra point corresponds to roughly 32 times more energy. The table below shows typical effects and worldwide annual frequency for each range.
| Magnitude | Class | Typical effects | Frequency (worldwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| < 2.0 | Micro | Imperceptible, detected only by instruments | millions / year |
| 2.0 – 2.9 | Very minor | Rarely felt by people | > 1,000,000 / year |
| 3.0 – 3.9 | Minor | Felt near the epicenter, damage rare | ~ 100,000 / year |
| 4.0 – 4.9 | Moderate | Objects sway, possible minor damage | ~ 10,000 – 15,000 / year |
| 5.0 – 5.9 | Strong | Damage to vulnerable buildings | ~ 1,500 / year |
| 6.0 – 6.9 | Very strong | Severe damage in populated areas | ~ 120 / year |
| ≥ 7.0 | Major | Widespread destruction | ~ 15 / year |
Depth matters: shallow, intermediate and deep
Most Italian earthquakes. At equal magnitude they're the most damaging, because the energy reaches the surface with little attenuation.
Typical of the southern Tyrrhenian Sea, where the Ionian plate sinks (subduction of the Calabrian Arc). Often barely felt at the surface despite high magnitudes — like the M 4.5 event at 245 km depth on July 24, 2026.
Rare in Italy; linked to deep subduction, which under the Tyrrhenian Sea reaches about 500 km.
Seismicity of Southern Italy: zones, faults and history
Southern Italy is among the areas of highest seismic hazard in Europe, due to the convergence between the African and Eurasian plates and subduction beneath the Ionian Sea.
Subduction of the Ionian Sea, with both crustal and deep seismicity. Site of the catastrophic 1783 and 1908 earthquakes.
Active extensional faults between Irpinia, Basilicata and Pollino, responsible for the 1980 Irpinia earthquake.
Volcano-tectonic seismicity linked to active magmatism, with frequent but generally shallow, localized events.
Marsili is Europe's largest submarine volcano: monitored by INGV for potential tsunami risk.
Significant historical earthquakes
| Year | Event | Magnitude | Casualties (est.) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1693 | Val di Noto (eastern Sicily) | ~ 7.4 | ~ 60,000 | Tsunami; Baroque reconstruction of the Val di Noto |
| 1783 | Calabria (sequence) | ~ 6.9 – 7.0 | tens of thousands | Five strong shocks over about two months |
| 1908 | Messina – Reggio Calabria | ~ 7.1 | ~ 80,000 | Tsunami in the Strait; among the worst in Europe |
| 1980 | Irpinia – Basilicata | ~ 6.9 | ~ 2,900 | Southern Apennines |
What to do during an earthquake
Essential guidelines based on Civil Protection recommendations. Knowing them in advance reduces the risk of injury.
- Prepare an emergency kit: water, flashlight, radio, medication, documents.
- Secure tall furniture, shelves and heavy objects to the wall.
- Identify the safe spots in your home and escape routes.
- Agree on a meeting point with your family.
- Indoors: take cover under a sturdy table (drop, cover, hold on), away from windows and furniture that could fall.
- Don't run down stairs or use the elevator.
- Outdoors: move to an open space, away from buildings, trees and power lines.
- In a car: stop away from bridges and overpasses.
- Check for injuries and provide first aid.
- Shut off gas, water and electricity if you suspect damage.
- Watch out for aftershocks.
- Use the phone only for emergencies and follow Civil Protection updates.