Earthquake swarm · Tyrrhenian Sea (north of Sicily)
Since 19 October 2026 the southern Tyrrhenian Sea north of Sicily has been seismically active. Strongest event: M5.5 (Mw, INGV) on 23 October at 12:19 local time, about 9 km deep, northwest of Alicudi (Aeolian Islands). Shaking was felt across Sicily from Palermo to Catania and on the Aeolian Islands. Because the epicenter was offshore, Italy's civil protection issued a precautionary orange tsunami alert; schools in Palermo were evacuated as a precaution. No injuries or significant damage were reported by civil protection or the INGV. The area lies on the complex Africa–Eurasia plate boundary; such swarms can last days to weeks.
Map of the series
Distribution by magnitude
Timeline
Magnitude over time
Impact
We have no confirmed reports of casualties or damage for this event. Any information on consequences is added solely from named official sources.
The strongest earthquakes of the series
| Time | Mag. | Depth | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29. Oct, 09:41 | M3.1 | 10 km | Tirreno Meridionale [Mare] |
| 28. Oct, 07:23 | M3.3 | 10 km | Tirreno Meridionale [Mare] |
| 28. Oct, 03:29 | M3.4 | 10 km | Tirreno Meridionale [Mare] |
| 27. Oct, 23:09 | M3.0 | 9 km | Tirreno Meridionale [Mare] |
| 26. Oct, 15:21 | M3.2 | 10 km | Tirreno Meridionale [Mare] |
| 26. Oct, 11:00 | M3.2 | 10 km | Tirreno Meridionale [Mare] |
| 25. Oct, 12:49 | M3.4 | 19 km | Tirreno Meridionale [Mare] |
| 24. Oct, 11:28 | M3.5 | 12 km | Tirreno Meridionale [Mare] |
| 24. Oct, 07:12 | M3.1 | 10 km | Tirreno Meridionale [Mare] |
| 24. Oct, 05:13 | M3.4 | 10 km | Tirreno Meridionale [Mare] |
| 24. Oct, 04:28 | M3.3 | 10 km | Tirreno Meridionale [Mare] |
| 24. Oct, 00:20 | M3.1 | 10 km | Tirreno Meridionale [Mare] |
| 23. Oct, 21:29 | M3.1 | 6 km | Tirreno Meridionale [Mare] |
| 23. Oct, 18:58 | M3.1 | 10 km | Tirreno Meridionale [Mare] |
| 23. Oct, 17:32 | M4.3 | 7 km | Tirreno Meridionale [Mare] |
| 23. Oct, 17:14 | M3.0 | 7 km | Tirreno Meridionale [Mare] |
| 23. Oct, 17:05 | M3.5 | 6 km | Tirreno Meridionale [Mare] |
| 23. Oct, 15:55 | M5.0 | 8 km | Tirreno Meridionale [Mare] |
| 23. Oct, 15:13 | M3.0 | 10 km | Tirreno Meridionale [Mare] |
| 23. Oct, 14:59 | M3.2 | 10 km | Tirreno Meridionale [Mare] |
| 23. Oct, 14:26 | M3.0 | 10 km | Tirreno Meridionale [Mare] |
| 23. Oct, 14:05 | M3.2 | 8 km | Tirreno Meridionale [Mare] |
| 23. Oct, 12:51 | M3.2 | 25 km | Tirreno Meridionale [Mare] |
| 23. Oct, 12:43 | M3.2 | 10 km | Tirreno Meridionale [Mare] |
| 23. Oct, 12:41 | M3.0 | 10 km | Tirreno Meridionale [Mare] |
Background
What is an earthquake series?
An earthquake series – also called a swarm – is a cluster of many quakes in one region over hours to weeks. After a strong quake, numerous aftershocks typically follow, decreasing in number and strength over time.
How should the magnitude be read?
The magnitude scale is logarithmic: a magnitude 6 quake releases around 32 times the energy of a magnitude 5. Whether a quake is felt depends not only on its strength but strongly on focal depth and distance to populated areas.
Where does the data come from?
All figures, the timeline and the map are merged continuously from ten seismological services (including USGS, EMSC, GEOFON, GEONET and Spain’s IGN). Information on human consequences is in no earthquake database – we add it solely from named official sources.
Frequently asked questions
How many quakes does this series include?
So far 243 quakes have been counted in this series (all magnitudes in the area).
How strong was the biggest quake?
The strongest quake reached M5.5 on 23. Oct (Southern Tyrrhenian Sea, north of Sicily (Aeolian Islands)).
Is the series still active?
Yes, the series is still being extended with new quakes – the figures update continuously.
Are casualties or damage known?
We have no confirmed reports of casualties or damage for this event. Any information on consequences is added solely from named official sources.
All figures and the map are computed live from ten seismological data sources on every visit — nothing is hard-coded. Individual earthquakes are on the map and in the full list.