USGS · August 16, 2026

Magnitude 4.1 earthquake — 1 km NE of Sarzana, Italy

A magnitude 4.1 earthquake was recorded near 1 km NE of Sarzana, Italy on Aug 16, 2026, 05:49 AM (local time at the epicentre — UTC+2), at a depth of about 10.0 km, according to USGS.

USGSFelt by 24 people · community intensity IV (light)Shallow (0–70 km)Reviewed by a seismologist

Updated 2026-09-04 18:47 UTC

The full record

Magnitude: M 4.1 · body-wave magnitude
Location: 1 km NE of Sarzana, Italy
Local time at the epicentre: Aug 16, 2026, 05:49 AM — UTC+2
Time (UTC): 2026-08-16 03:49 UTC
Depth: 10.0 km · Shallow (0–70 km)
Coordinates: 44.120, 9.973
Felt reports: Felt by 24 people · community intensity IV (light)
Tsunami: No tsunami evaluation was flagged for this earthquake.
Significance: 268 / 1000 · routine event
Solution quality: 30 seismic stations used · 88° azimuthal gap (well-constrained epicentre)
Review status: Reviewed by a seismologist
Catalog: USGS

Open the official catalog record

Epicentre and nearby recent earthquakes

The highlighted circle is this earthquake. Smaller circles are other events recorded nearby in the last 30 days.

What the shaking was like

Shallow earthquakes release their energy close to the surface, so they are felt more strongly nearby than a deeper earthquake of the same magnitude.

People who reported it described intensity IV (Light): Felt indoors by many; dishes and windows rattle and parked cars rock.

Felt it yourself? USGS collects first-hand reports through “Did You Feel It?”, and those reports are what produce the community intensity above.

Who lives nearby

About 446,119 people live in towns within 30 km of the epicentre, and 4,121,587 within 100 km. Distances are from the epicentre to the town centre.

Place	Distance	Population
Sarzana	1.2 km SW	20,435
Borghetto-Melara	2.8 km SSE	1,868
Fosdinovo	3.9 km ENE	403
Romito Magra	4.0 km SW	2,558
Castelnuovo Magra	4.2 km ESE	463
Colombiera-Molicciara	4.7 km SE	6,945
Arcola	4.9 km W	5,941
Santo Stefano di Magra	5.2 km NW	8,153
Ameglia	5.5 km S	2,617
Stazione-Fornola	6.6 km W	2,990

Earthquake history in this area

No earthquake of magnitude 4.5+ has been recorded within 200 km of this epicentre since 1960, in Italy.

Other earthquakes near this epicentre

22 other events within 100 km in the last 30 days.

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Frequently asked questions

How strong was the 1 km NE of Sarzana, Italy earthquake?

Magnitude 4.1 (body-wave magnitude), at a depth of 10.0 km. Shallow earthquakes release their energy close to the surface, so they are felt more strongly nearby than a deeper earthquake of the same magnitude.

Exactly when did it happen?

Aug 16, 2026, 05:49 AM (local time at the epicentre — UTC+2). In universal time: 2026-08-16 03:49 UTC.

Was it felt?

Felt by 24 people · community intensity IV (light). Felt indoors by many; dishes and windows rattle and parked cars rock.

Was there a tsunami warning?

No tsunami evaluation was flagged for this earthquake.

Which towns are closest to the epicentre?

The closest is Sarzana, 1.2 km SW (population 20,435).

Are earthquakes normal in this area?

22 further events were recorded within 100 km of the epicentre in the last 30 days.

How do I get alerts for the next earthquake here?

Install the free SeismoWatch Android app, draw a box over this area, set a minimum magnitude, and turn alerts on.

About this page

Event data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) and, in Venezuela, FUNVISIS. Populated places and time zones: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Preliminary solutions are revised as more observations arrive.