M4.5 Earthquake 0 km WNW of Torre Caracciolo, Italy — July 31, 2026
2026-07-31 17:46:43 UTC (2026-07-31) · approx. 6:46 PM UTC+1 local
Felt by 13 people across nearby locations. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 6.2 (very strong).
On July 31, 2026 at 17:46 UTC, a magnitude 4.5 shallow crustal earthquake struck 0 km WNW of Torre Caracciolo, Italy, at a depth of 5.0 km and coordinates 40.8789°, 14.1713°. The earthquake was reported felt by 13 peopleacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 6.2 (very strong). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 65 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 319, placing it among routine seismic activity. The nearest populated place is Pozzuoli (population 81,141).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.5 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 85 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 767 m — 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 13 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 | 2,354,077 |
| MMI 4 | light | 1,675,269 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 132,767 |
| MMI 6 | strong | 31,161 |
Earthquake Details
14.1713°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.5 earthquake near Torre Caracciolo, Italy?
The magnitude 4.5 earthquake that struck 0 km WNW of Torre Caracciolo, Italy on July 31, 2026 at 17:46 UTC had a depth of 5.0 km. It was felt by 13 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 6.2 (very strong). For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 40.8789°, 14.1713°, which is 0 km WNW of Torre Caracciolo, Italy. The nearest populated place is Pozzuoli (population 81,141). View all earthquakes in Italy.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.5 earthquakes can continue for several days 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 4.5 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Actions
Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000th99). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2026, July 31, 2026). M4.5 Earthquake 0 km WNW of Torre Caracciolo, Italy — July 31, 2026. Retrieved August 2, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000th99/