Sunday 16 October 2016

Magnitude 5.2 Earthquake in the Epirus Region of Greece.

The Athens Institute of Geodynamics recorded a Magnitude 5.2 Earthquake at a depth of 17 km close to the village of Pogoni in the Epirus Region of northwest Greece, slightly before 8.15 pm local time (slightly before 11.15 pm GMT) on Saturday 15 October 2016. There are no reports of any damage or casualties associated with this event, but people have reported feeling it across much of the Greek mainland, as well as in parts of Italy, Albania and Macedonia.

The approximate location of the 15 October 2016 Epirus Earthquake. Google.

Western Greece is located on the Aegean Sea Plate, a small tectonic plate caught between the African Plate to the south, the Anatolian Plate to the east and the Eurasian Plate to the northwest. The Anatolian Plate is being pushed to the west by the northward movement of the Arabian Plate to the east, pushing the Aegean Plate south and west into collision with the northward moving African Plate. Part of the African Plate is being subducted beneath the Aegean Plate along the Hellenic Trench, which runs to the south of the Greek Islands from Cyprus to Crete then northwest under the Ionian sea parallel to the Peloponnesian Coast. This is not a smooth process, as the plates frequently stick together then break apart once the pressure has built up sufficiently, leading to (fairly frequent) Earthquakes.

  Simplified map of the plate movements of the eastern Mediterranean. Univeriteit Utrecht.

Witness accounts of Earthquakes can help geologists to understand these events, and the structures that cause them. If you felt this event then you can report it to the Athens Institute of Geodynamics Here.

See also...

http://sciencythoughts.blogspot.co.uk/2016/09/numerous-injuries-after-macedonian.htmlNumerous injuries after Macedonian Earthquake.                                            The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 5.3 Earthquake at a depth of about 4 km, about 4 km north of the Macedonian capitol Skopje at about 3.10 pm local time about...

http://sciencythoughts.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/deadly-earthquake-kills-two-on-greek.htmlDeadly Earthquake kills two on the Greek Island of Lefkada.                                       Two people have died and a further eight have been treated for injuries following an Earthquake off the west coast of the Greek island of Lefkada in the Ionian Sea on Tuesday 17 November...
http://sciencythoughts.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/magnitude-50-earthquake-off-coast-of.htmlMagnitude 5.0 Earthquake off the coast of Albania.                                                        The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 5.0 Earthquake at a depth of about...

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