USGS Confirms M4.7 Earthquake in Italy

An earthquake measuring magnitude 4.7 has been detected near 56 km NW of Santa Domenica, Italy, occurring at 22:55 UTC on Thursday, July 23, 2026. Here is everything you need to know about what happened, what it means, and what to do.

The Basics

According to USGS data, this earthquake originated at a depth of 243.1 km beneath the surface. With a focal depth of 243.1 km, this earthquake falls into the intermediate depth category (70–300 km). At this depth, seismic waves travel further before reaching the surface, spreading energy over a wider area. While shaking intensity at the epicentre is somewhat reduced compared to a shallow event of equal magnitude, an intermediate earthquake can be felt across a much larger region.

A magnitude 4.7 earthquake is considered a moderate event. In practical terms, this means it is felt strongly by everyone; minor to moderate damage possible in vulnerable buildings.

Why Does This Area Get Earthquakes?

Italy lies along the boundary between the African and Eurasian tectonic plates and is crossed by the Apennine fault system, making it one of Europe's most earthquake-prone nations.

Italy has a long history of devastating earthquakes, from the 1908 Messina earthquake (M7.1, ~80,000 deaths) to the 2009 L'Aquila earthquake (M6.3) and the 2016 Central Italy sequence. Significant events occur on average every few years somewhere in the country.

How Much Energy Is That, Really?

The magnitude scale can be deceptive to non-specialists because it looks like a simple number. In reality, it is logarithmic: each step up releases around 32 times more energy.

A magnitude 4.7 earthquake releases approximately roughly 500 tonnes of TNT of energy. For comparison, this exceeds the energy released by most conventional explosive events and is sufficient to shift tectonic stress in measurable ways across a wide region.

Moderate earthquakes are felt by virtually everyone near the epicentre. Strong shaking lasting 10–30 seconds can topple unsecured items, crack plaster, and cause poorly anchored objects to fall. Aftershocks are common following moderate events.

Should People Be Worried?

Significant damage can occur to vulnerable structures — particularly unreinforced masonry, old adobe buildings, and poorly maintained older construction. Well-engineered modern buildings are designed to withstand this level of shaking with minimal structural impact, though contents may shift and non-structural elements (ceilings, partitions) can be damaged.

Aftershocks are a normal part of the earthquake process and should be expected in the hours and days following any notable event. Most aftershocks are smaller than the main shock, but they can be significant — and structures weakened by the main event may be more vulnerable to subsequent shaking.

Staying Safe

If you are on or near a coast and experience strong or prolonged earthquake shaking, treat it as a potential tsunami warning and move immediately to high ground. Do not wait for an official alert — natural warning signs (severe shaking, unusual sea withdrawal) are your first alert.

Agree on an out-of-area contact that family members can reach if local communications are disrupted. Identify two meeting points: one near your home and one further away. Practise earthquake drills, especially with children and elderly household members.

Italy's Civil Protection Department (Protezione Civile) coordinates emergency response. Residents in historic stone buildings face higher risk during strong shaking and should familiarise themselves with local assembly points.

For real-time updates on this earthquake and all seismic activity worldwide, visit our live earthquake map. You can also read our full earthquake safety guide for detailed preparedness advice.

Aftershock Probability

After any significant earthquake, the probability of aftershocks follows a well-understood statistical pattern known as the Omori-Utsu Law: aftershock frequency decays roughly as the inverse of elapsed time since the main shock. For a magnitude 4.7 event, there is a meaningful probability of one or more felt aftershocks in the days following the main event. The USGS publishes real-time aftershock forecasts for significant earthquakes, which are updated as the sequence evolves.