In the night of Saturday March 21st, 2026, a shallow and significant Magnitude 5.2 earthquake hit in the Tirreno Sea 99 kilometer from Palermo, Italy. Malta is also near its epicenter.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the Tirreno Sea, 52 kilometers (33 mi) off the coast of Italy, 99 kilometer north-east of Palermo in Sicily. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 10 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Mar 21, 2026 02:46 (Rome Time) - Mar 21, 2026 01:46 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 99 km NE of Palermo, Sicily, Italy. Coordinates 38°29'44"N 14°22'4"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.2 Detected by 247 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.037 . |
| Depth: | 10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Low tsunami risk Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 do not usually cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
2 countries can be found within 300km of the epicenter of this earthquake: Italy and Malta .
Located 82 kilometer (51 mi) west of the epicenter of this earthquake, Milazzo (Sicily, Italy) is the nearest significant population center.
Multiple major population centers exist within 300km of the earthquake that struck today. Palermo is located 99 km to the southwest. Naples is located 262 km to the north. Catania is located 127 km to the south-east.
An overview of nearby towns and cities is available in the overview below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 82 km (51 mi) SW from epicenter |
Termini Imerese Sicily, Italy. |
| 82 km (51 mi) E from epicenter |
Milazzo Sicily, Italy. |
| 83 km (52 mi) SE from epicenter |
Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto Sicily, Italy. |
| 88 km (55 mi) SW from epicenter |
Bagheria Sicily, Italy. |
| 89 km (55 mi) SE from epicenter |
Bronte Sicily, Italy. |
| 93 km (58 mi) SW from epicenter |
Villabate Sicily, Italy. |
| 95 km (59 mi) SW from epicenter |
Misilmeri Sicily, Italy. |
| 99 km (62 mi) SW from epicenter |
Palermo Sicily, Italy. |
| 101 km (63 mi) SE from epicenter |
Adrano Sicily, Italy. |
| 104 km (65 mi) SE from epicenter |
Biancavilla Sicily, Italy. |
| 104 km (65 mi) S from epicenter |
Enna Sicily, Italy. |
| 105 km (65 mi) SW from epicenter |
Monreale Sicily, Italy. |
| 109 km (68 mi) E from epicenter |
Messina Sicily, Italy. |
| 111 km (69 mi) W from epicenter |
Carini Sicily, Italy. |
| 111 km (69 mi) SE from epicenter |
Giarre Sicily, Italy. |
| 113 km (70 mi) SE from epicenter |
Paternò Sicily, Italy. |
| 114 km (71 mi) SE from epicenter |
Belpasso Sicily, Italy. |
| 115 km (71 mi) S from epicenter |
Caltanissetta Sicily, Italy. |
| 117 km (73 mi) S from epicenter |
San Cataldo Sicily, Italy. |
| 119 km (74 mi) SE from epicenter |
Mascalucia Sicily, Italy. |
| 120 km (75 mi) SE from epicenter |
San Giovanni la Punta Sicily, Italy. |
| 120 km (75 mi) SW from epicenter |
Partinico Sicily, Italy. |
| 120 km (75 mi) SE from epicenter |
Aci Catena Sicily, Italy. |
| 120 km (75 mi) SE from epicenter |
Gravina di Catania Sicily, Italy. |
| 121 km (75 mi) E from epicenter |
Reggio Calabria Calabria, Italy. |
| 121 km (75 mi) SE from epicenter |
Acireale Sicily, Italy. |
| 122 km (76 mi) SE from epicenter |
Misterbianco Sicily, Italy. |
| 124 km (77 mi) S from epicenter |
Piazza Armerina Sicily, Italy. |
| 127 km (79 mi) SE from epicenter |
Catania Sicily, Italy. |
| 134 km (83 mi) S from epicenter |
Canicattì Sicily, Italy. |
| 135 km (84 mi) SW from epicenter |
Alcamo Sicily, Italy. |
| 140 km (87 mi) S from epicenter |
Caltagirone Sicily, Italy. |
| 145 km (90 mi) SW from epicenter |
Favara Sicily, Italy. |
| 149 km (93 mi) SW from epicenter |
Agrigento Sicily, Italy. |
| 150 km (93 mi) S from epicenter |
Niscemi Sicily, Italy. |
| 157 km (98 mi) SW from epicenter |
Sciacca Sicily, Italy. |
| 158 km (98 mi) SE from epicenter |
Augusta Sicily, Italy. |
| 158 km (98 mi) S from epicenter |
Gela Sicily, Italy. |
| 159 km (99 mi) S from epicenter |
Licata Sicily, Italy. |
| 169 km (105 mi) W from epicenter |
Trapani Sicily, Italy. |
| 172 km (107 mi) S from epicenter |
Vittoria Sicily, Italy. |
| 176 km (109 mi) E from epicenter |
Lamezia Terme Calabria, Italy. |
| 177 km (110 mi) E from epicenter |
Nicastro Calabria, Italy. |
| 177 km (110 mi) SE from epicenter |
Siracusa Sicily, Italy. |
| 177 km (110 mi) S from epicenter |
Ragusa Sicily, Italy. |
| 182 km (113 mi) SW from epicenter |
Mazara del Vallo Sicily, Italy. |
| 185 km (115 mi) S from epicenter |
Modica Sicily, Italy. |
| 186 km (116 mi) SW from epicenter |
Marsala Sicily, Italy. |
| 186 km (116 mi) NE from epicenter |
Cosenza Calabria, Italy. |
| 199 km (124 mi) E from epicenter |
Catanzaro Calabria, Italy. |
| 262 km (163 mi) N from epicenter |
Naples Campania, Italy. |
| 269 km (167 mi) NE from epicenter |
Potenza Basilicate, Italy. |
| 288 km (179 mi) S from epicenter |
Mosta Il-Mosta, Malta. |
| 289 km (180 mi) S from epicenter |
Birkirkara Birkirkara, Malta. |
| 289 km (180 mi) S from epicenter |
Valletta Valletta, Malta. |
| 291 km (181 mi) S from epicenter |
Qormi Qormi, Malta. |
| 292 km (181 mi) S from epicenter |
Żabbar Ħaż-Żabbar, Malta. |
Shaking reported by 2 people
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 2 people have reported shaking in 2 places in Italy.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.
Places with most reports:
- Palermo, Sizilien, Italy: 1 person.
- Calatabiano, Sizilien, Italy: 1 person.
18 Aftershocks detected
Since this main shock, 18 smaller aftershocks were detected. A 4.3 magnitude earthquake hit 16 hrs later 60 km (37 mi) south of this earthquake.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.2 |
Mar 21, 2026 02:46 (Rome Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 4.3 |
3 mins later Mar 21, 2026 02:49 (Rome Time) | 0.6 km (0.4 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.0 |
7 mins later Mar 21, 2026 02:53 (Rome Time) | 15 km (9 mi) W from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.7 |
10 mins later Mar 21, 2026 02:55 (Rome Time) | 13 km (8 mi) W from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.9 |
11 mins later Mar 21, 2026 02:57 (Rome Time) | 14 km (9 mi) W from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.6 |
40 mins later Mar 21, 2026 03:25 (Rome Time) | 15 km (9 mi) W from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.8 |
1 hr later Mar 21, 2026 04:00 (Rome Time) | 14 km (9 mi) W from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.7 |
1 hr later Mar 21, 2026 04:02 (Rome Time) | 14 km (9 mi) W from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.5 |
2 hrs later Mar 21, 2026 04:28 (Rome Time) | 13 km (8 mi) W from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.5 |
6 hrs later Mar 21, 2026 08:31 (Rome Time) | 65 km (40 mi) S from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.5 |
16 hrs later Mar 21, 2026 19:03 (Rome Time) | 63 km (39 mi) S from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.0 |
16 hrs later Mar 21, 2026 19:04 (Rome Time) | 67 km (42 mi) S from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.3 |
16 hrs later Mar 21, 2026 19:04 (Rome Time) | 60 km (37 mi) S from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.3 |
16 hrs later Mar 21, 2026 19:06 (Rome Time) | 66 km (41 mi) S from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.0 |
16 hrs later Mar 21, 2026 19:15 (Rome Time) | 64 km (40 mi) S from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.5 |
17 hrs later Mar 21, 2026 20:09 (Rome Time) | 65 km (40 mi) S from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.8 |
17 hrs later Mar 21, 2026 20:09 (Rome Time) | 63 km (39 mi) S from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.5 |
18 hrs later Mar 21, 2026 20:24 (Rome Time) | 65 km (41 mi) S from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.6 |
2 days later Mar 22, 2026 16:28 (Rome Time) | 17 km (10 mi) W from Main Shock. |
More earthquakes coming?
Earthquakes can create aftershocks. These are generally at least 1 magnitude lower than any main shock, and as time passes the chance and strength of aftershocks decreases.
It's always adviced to be cautious of the risk of a larger shock following any significant earthquake, however this risk is fairly small. There is a roughly 94 percent change that no larger main shock will follow in the days following this earthquake.
Read: How to Stay Safe during an Earthquake (cdc.gov).Earthquakes like this are common in the region
Earthquakes of this strength occur quite regularly in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since March 9th, 2026, when a 6 magnitude earthquake hit 234 km (145 mi) further north. That was also the heaviest earthquake to hit the region in the past 10 years.
In total, 3 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.2 or higher have been registered within 300km (186 mi) of this epicenter in the past 10 years. This comes down to an average of once every 3 years.
Low tsunami risk
Based on early data it appears this earthquake was not strong enough (lower than MAG-6.5) to be likely to cause destructive tsunami's. However this earthquake appeared to have hit at a shallow depth under sea, so stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.
Tsunami Risk Factors
| Factor | Under Sea? | MAG-6.5 or stronger? | Shallow depth? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explanation | Almost all tsunami's are caused by earthquakes with their epicenter under sea or very near the sea. However stay cautious in coastal areas as earthquakes on land may cause landslides into sea, potentially still causing a local tsunami. | Under MAG 6.5: Very unlikely to cause a tsunami. MAG 6.5 to 7.5: Destructive tsunami's do occur, but are uncommon. Likely to observe small sea level changes. MAG 7.6+: Earthquakes with these magnitudes might produce destructive tsunami's. |
Most destructive tsunami's are caused by shallow earthquakes with a depth between 0 and 100km under the surface of the earth. Deeper tsunami's are unlikely to displace to ocean floor. |
| This Earthquake | This earthquake appears to have struck under the sea. | Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.2. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 10 km (6 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 19/04/26 02:48 (). As more information on this earthquake becomes available this article will be updated. This article is automatically composed based on data originating from multiple sources.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000si0l
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260321_0000030
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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