Magnitude 5.2 Earthquake to the northwest of the island of Samos.

The Geodynamics Institute of the National Observatory of Athens recorded a Magnitude 5.2 Earthquake at a depth of 12.8 km, beneath the Aegean Sea, about 15 km to the northwest of the island of Samos, at about 1.10 pm local time (about 11.10 am GMT) on Wednesday 31 August 2022. No damage or injuries have been reported following this event, but people have reported feeling the event across much of the Aegean region, the eastern Greek mainland, and western Anatolia.

The approximate location of the 31 August 2022 Samos Earthquake. USGS.

The Aegean Sea is underlain by 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.

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Magnitude 5.7 Earthquake to the south of Crete felt around much of the eastern Mediterranean.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 5.7 Earthquake at a depth of 70.6 km,to the south of the island of Crete, slightly before 7.10 am local time (slightly before 5.10 am GMT) on Wednesday 29 December 2021. No damage or injuries have been reported following this event, but people have reported feeling the quake as far away as Sicily, southern Anatolia, and the Egyptian cities of Alexandria and Cairo.

 

The approximate location of the 29 December 2021 Crete Earthquake. USGS.

The island of Crete lies to the north of the boundary between the Aegean Sea Plate, which underlies southern Greece, and the African Plate, which underlies most of the Mediterranean. The African Plate is moving northward relative to the Aegean Sea Plate, and is being subducted beneath it along the Hellenic Trench, which runs from the Ionian Sea to the south and west of the Peloponnese and then to the south of Crete. 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.

 

To the east the Arabian Plate  is being pushed north and west by the movement of the African Plate, further to the south. This leads to a zone of tectonic activity within the province, as the Arabian and Anatolian plates are pushed together, along the East Anatolian Fault, and past one-another, along the Dead Sea Transform.

 

This movement also leads to a zone of faulting along the northern part of Turkey, the North Anatolian Fault Zone, as the Anatolian Plate is pushed past the Eurasian Plate, which underlies the Black Sea and Crimean Peninsula  (transform faulting). This is not a simple process, as the two plates constantly stick together, then break apart as the pressure builds up, leading to Earthquakes, which can be some distance from the actual fault zone.  

 

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

 

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Magnitude 6.6 Earthquake to the south of Crete.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 6.6 Earthquake at a depth of 17.0 km, about 89 km to the south of the island of Crete, slightly after 3.50 pm local time (slightly after 12.50 pm GMT) on Saturday 2 May 2020. No damage or injuries have been reported following this event, but people have reported feeling the quake on Crete.

The approximate location of the 2 May 2020 Crete Earthquake. USGS.

The island of Crete lies to the north of the boundary between the Aegean Sea Plate, which underlies southern Greece, and the African Plate, which underlies most of the Mediterranean. The African Plate is moving northward relative to the Aegean Sea Plate, and is being subducted beneath it along the Hellenic Trench, which runs from the Ionian Sea to the south and west of the Peloponnese and then to the south of Crete. 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.

 

To the east the Arabian Plate  is being pushed north and west by the movement of the African Plate, further to the south. This leads to a zone of tectonic activity within the province, as the Arabian and Anatolian plates are pushed together, along the East Anatolian Fault, and past one-another, along the Dead Sea Transform.

 
This movement also leads to a zone of faulting along the northern part of Turkey, the North Anatolian Fault Zone, as the Anatolian Plate is pushed past the Eurasian Plate, which underlies the Black Sea and Crimean Peninsula  (transform faulting). This is not a simple process, as the two plates constantly stick together, then break apart as the pressure builds up, leading to Earthquakes, which can be some distance from the actual fault zone.

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. The international non-profit organisation Earthquake Report is interested in hearing from people who may have felt this event; if you felt this quake then you can report it to Earthquake Report here.

 

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Magnitude 5.3 Earthquake on the Attic Peninsula, Greece,

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 5.3 Earthquake at a depth of 10.0 km, roughly 3 km to the northeast of the town of Magoula on the Attic Peninsula of Greece, slightly before 2.15 pm local time (slightly before 11.15 am GMT) on Friday 19 July 2019 . No injuries have been reported following this event, though some damage to buildings has occurred, and the event was felt across much of southern Greece.

A collapsed building in the Port of Piraeus near Athens, following the 19 July 2019 Attic Peninsula Earthquake. Petros Giannakouris/AP.

The Attic Peninsula is to the north of the boundary between the Aegean Sea Plate, which underlies southern Greece, and the African Plate, which underlies most of the Mediterranean. The African Plate is moving northward relative to the Aegean Sea Plate, and is being subducted beneath it along the Hellenic Trench, which runs from the Ionian Sea to the south and west of the Peloponnese and then to the south of Crete. 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.

The extent of the Hellenic Trench. Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica eVulcanologia.

Witness accounts of Earthquakes can help geologists to understand these events, and the structures that cause them. The international non-profit organisation Earthquake Report is interested in hearing from people who may have felt this event; if you felt this quake then you can report it to Earthquake Report here.

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