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Italy · Sicily

M1.8 Earthquake near Montalbano Elicona, Sicily (Italy)

UTC time: 2026-08-19 17:29:50 UTC Local time: —

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About this earthquake

A magnitude M1.8 earthquake was recorded near Montalbano Elicona, Sicily (Italy) on August 19, 2026 at 17:29 UTC. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 26 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Earthquakes of this small magnitude are usually barely noticeable and cause no damage.

The event was recorded by INGV. Italy: over the past 24 hours, QuakeMap24 logged 37 earthquakes, the strongest at M3.9.

Details

ID
4c7df895896487fa1f0669e652c7bf06e623e840
Magnitude
M1.8
Depth
25.8 km
UTC time
2026-08-19 17:29:50 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Italy
State
Sicily
City
Montalbano Elicona
County
Messina
Village
Montalbano Elicona
Source
ingv
Coordinates
37.96880, 15.03670
Temperature
23.2°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 25.8 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 25.8 km
Shallow
25.8 km
25.8 km — deeper than the regional average (12.9 km)
Regional average: 12.9 km
Why depth matters

Shallow quakes release energy near the surface — shaking is felt more strongly and damage potential is higher.

Depth classes per USGS

Volcanoes nearby

  • Etna Activity reported
    Distance: 25 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 3'357 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Italy
  • Vulcano
    Distance: 49 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 500 m ·Last eruption: 1890 ·Italy
  • Lipari
    Distance: 59 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 590 m ·Last eruption: 1230 ·Italy
  • Panarea
    Distance: 74 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 399 m ·Italy
  • Stromboli Activity reported
    Distance: 92 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 924 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Italy
  • Marsili
    Distance: 156 km ·Complex ·Elevation: -779 m ·Last eruption: -1050 ·Italy

Sicily

Context for this earthquake

05 Oct 2025 – 05 Oct 2026 · M ≥ 2.0 · 44 Catalogue entries

Sufficiently reliable matching data are not currently available for a direct comparison. The area profile shows the available records and their limitations.

Open seismic profile

Historic earthquake map · Italy

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Explore recent and long-term earthquake activity in this country. Use filters to narrow down by magnitude, depth, and date range.

Country statistics · Italy

Country overview
View earthquake KPIs, strongest and latest events, and averages for this country.

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