The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 6.9 Earthquake at a depth of 10 km beneath the north Aegean Sea, close to the Greek Islands of Samothraki and Lemnos and the Turkish Island of Gokceada, at about 11.25 am local time (9.25 am GMT) on Saturday 24 May 2014. Minor damage to buildings and several injuries have been directly attributed to the quake in both Greece and Turkey, while 266 people were reportedly injured while evacuating buildings in Turkey.
Fallen ceiling panels at Ifestos Airport on the Greek Island of Lemnos following the 24 May 2014 Earthquake. A British tourist reportedly suffered minor injuries after being struck by one of the panels. Associated Press.
The northern Aegean Sea lies on the boundary between the Eurasian Plate, to the north, ans two smaller plates, the Aegean Sea Plate (underlying the Peloponnese, Attica, The Cyclades Islands, Crete, the Dodecanese Islands and Turkey to the southeast of the Taurus Mountains) and the Anatolian Plate (underlying most of the rest of Turkey). Northern Greece and the north coast of Turkey lie on the Eurasian Plate. Both countries are highly prone to earthquakes because of this.
Simplified map of the plate movements of the eastern Mediterranean. Univeriteit Utrecht.
The Aegean Sea Plate is moving southwest with regard to the Eurasian and Anatolian Plates, and being subducted beneath the African Plate to the south. Its margin with the Eurasian Plate is a divergent and a transform margin at different points. This is not a smooth process, with rocks tending to stick together, then being forced to move as the pressure builds up, typically in stops and starts that lead to Earthquakes.
The approximate location of the 24 May 2014 Aegean Sea Earthquake. Google Maps.
See also...
The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 4.7...
A Magnitude 4.3 Earthquake at a depth of 10 km occurred in...
Magnitude 4.1 Earthquake in northeast Turkey.A Magnitude 4.1 Earthquake at a depth of 5.7 km occurred in...
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