M5.5 Earthquake 55 km N of Peschici, Italy — March 27, 2021
2021-03-27 13:47:55 UTC (2021-03-27) · approx. 2:47 PM UTC+1 local
Felt by 31 people across nearby locations.
On March 27, 2021 at 13:47 UTC, a magnitude 5.5 shallow crustal earthquake struck 55 km N of Peschici, Italy, at a depth of 7.0 km and coordinates 42.4479°, 16.0496°. The earthquake was reported felt by 31 peopleacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 3.9 (light). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. The nearest populated place is Peschici (population 3,396).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.5 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 3 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 3.8 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
The epicenter is located in Italy, a region characterized by the Apennine extensional belt and Calabrian subduction zone, where Africa-Eurasia convergence produces complex faulting. View all earthquakes in Italy.
Learn more: Magnitude scale · Aftershock sequences
Nearest Populated Places
ShakeMap — predicted shaking intensity
Modeled ground-motion intensity contoured on the Modified Mercalli scale (MMI). Computed by the USGS from the moment-tensor solution and regional ground-motion prediction equations.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 31 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report
Population exposure (USGS PAGER)
Estimated population that experienced each level of shaking. Based on the USGS PAGER rapid impact assessment, which combines ShakeMap output with global population grids.
| Shaking intensity (MMI) | Description | Population exposed |
|---|---|---|
| MMI 3 | weak | 8,099,431 |
| MMI 4 | light | 34,357 |
Earthquake Details
16.0496°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.5 earthquake near Peschici, Italy?
The magnitude 5.5 earthquake that struck 55 km N of Peschici, Italy on March 27, 2021 at 13:47 UTC had a depth of 7.0 km. It was felt by 31 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 3.9 (light). For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 42.4479°, 16.0496°, which is 55 km N of Peschici, Italy. The nearest populated place is Peschici (population 3,396). View all earthquakes in Italy.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.5 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
Has Italy had earthquakes this big before?
The largest recorded earthquake in Italy was the M7.2 Messina earthquake of December 28, 1908. Today's magnitude 5.5 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Actions
Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000dx0m). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, March 27, 2021). M5.5 Earthquake 55 km N of Peschici, Italy — March 27, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000dx0m/