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Strong mag. 6.1 Earthquake - Greece: 128 Km SE From Karpathos on Tuesday, Oct 19, 2021, at 07:32 am (GMT +2)

A very strong magnitude 6.1 earthquake occurred in the Eastern Mediterranean 127 km (79 mi) from  Greece in the morning of Tuesday, Oct 19, 2021 at 7.32 am local time (GMT +2). The quake had a shallow depth of 58 km (36 mi) and was felt over a large region. The shallow depth of the quake caused it to be felt more strongly near the epicenter than a deeper quake of similar magnitude would.

Strong mag. 6.1 Earthquake - Greece: 128 Km SE From Karpathos on Tuesday, Oct 19, 2021, at 07:32 am (GMT +2) Strong mag. 6.1 Earthquake - Greece: 128 Km SE From Karpathos on Tuesday, Oct 19, 2021, at 07:32 am (GMT +2)
Strong magnitude 6.1 earthquake at 58 km depth
19 Oct 05:35 UTC: First to report: EMSC after 2 minutes.
19 Oct 05:38: Magnitude recalculated from 5.8 to 6.2. Hypocenter depth recalculated from 78.0 to 80.0 km (from 48 to 50 mi). Epicenter location corrected by 27 km (17 mi) towards SE.
... [show all] ...
19 Oct 06:47: Hypocenter depth recalculated from 58.5 to 57.8 km (from 36 to 36 mi). Epicenter location corrected by 0.7 km (0.4 mi) towards E.

Earthquake details

Date & timeOct 19, 2021 05:32:35 UTC
Local time at epicenterTuesday, Oct 19, 2021, at 07:32 am (GMT +2)
StatusConfirmed (manually revised)
Magnitude6.1
Depth57.8 km
Epicenter latitude / longitude34.7131°N / 28.2532°E Eastern Mediterranean, Greece
Also near: Turkey 196 km (122 mi) away
Seismic antipode34.7131°S / 151.747°W
Shaking intensityModerate shaking near epicenter
Felt250 reports
Primary data sourceNOA (National Observatory of Athens)
Nearest volcanoNisyros (229 km / 142 mi)
Weather at epicenter at time of quakeBroken Clouds 21°C (70 F), humidity: 68%, wind: 8 m/s (15 kts) from NW
Estimated seismic energy released8.9 x 1013 joules (24.8 gigawatt hours, equivalent to 21301 tons of TNT or 1.3 atomic bombs!) | about seismic energy
Interactive map
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Nearby places

The closest larger town where the quake might have been felt is Karpathos, a town with 2,200 inhabitants in Greece, in 129 km (80 mi) distance northwest of the epicenter. People likely experienced light shaking there. In the capital of  Greece, Athens, 545 km (338 mi) away from the epicenter, the earthquake was probably felt as weak shaking.
The following table shows some of the places that might have been affected (or not) by the shaking.
Distance Place Max. shaking intensity(*) Region Country
129 km (80 mi)
NW of epicenter
Karpathos
(pop: 2,240)
IV: Light
Dodecanese, South Aegean
168 km (104 mi)
N of epicenter
Archangelos
(pop: 5,400)
IV: Light
Dodecanese, South Aegean
189 km (118 mi)
N of epicenter
Ialysos
(pop: 11,300)
IV: Light
Dodecanese, South Aegean
192 km (119 mi)
N of epicenter
Rhodes
(pop: 56,100)
IV: Light
Dodecanese, South Aegean
228 km (142 mi)
N of epicenter
Fethiye
(pop: 60,400)
IV: Light
Mugla
258 km (160 mi)
N of epicenter
Kos
(pop: 19,200)
IV: Light
Dodecanese, South Aegean
291 km (181 mi)
W of epicenter
Heraklion
(pop: 137,200)
III: Weak
Crete
351 km (218 mi)
W of epicenter
Rethymno
(pop: 32,500)
III: Weak
Crete
394 km (245 mi)
W of epicenter
Chania
(pop: 53,900)
III: Weak
Crete
545 km (338 mi)
NW of epicenter
Athens
(pop: 664,000)
III: Weak
Nomarchia Athinas, Attica
Notes:
(*) Shaking intensity according to the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale (MMI) and estimated using seismic models.

User-reports for this quake (303)

We received 303 reports for this quake.
User reports estimate the perceived ground shaking intensity according to the MMI (Modified Mercalli Intensity) scale.
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Leave a comment if you find a particular report interesting or want to add to it.
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Heraklion / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : At this point earthquakes are becoming a lifestyle for us Cretans. Light shaking, no noise, went on for quite a while. | 9 users found this interesting.  
Alexandria / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Short intensive shaking | 5 users found this interesting.  
Cairo, Egypt / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / very short : Like being rocked in a child's basinet | 3 users found this interesting.  
Chicago, Illinois USA / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / complex rolling (tilting in multiple directions) : Years ago, I began to notice a pattern where about 48 hours before a high magnitude earthquake (6+), I will experience a queasiness akin to what one might feel if you got off of a spinning ride. Similar to vertigo. Does anyone else experience this? | One user found this interesting.  
  • Yes, I do. And my snakes do, too. Ever since they fracked here in the UK, and since I moved to a 4th floor flat, plus been bedridden, I notice them far more. They are more noticable lying down, I can't feel them standing up. The snakes will even come out of hibernation if the quake is close(the bristol channel quake was minor, but large for the UK, and it had me and the snakes up 13 hours beforehand, only fb let me know there was a quake, and after, the snakes went back to sleep, and so did I. There were only 7 volcanoes going off then. Snakes lie down all the time, and they are deaf, but sense vibrations as well as heat to hunt. So are very sensitive to tremors. A book called when snakes awake was published when I was born, 1975,But I found out after I solve the mystery by keeping snakes for 30 years.
Giza, Egypt / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : It was around 7:30 am in Egypt, I was still a sleep and woke up to a viberation and shaking of my bed and chandeliers were shaking and moving too | One user found this interesting.  
Kos Kardamena / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s : Been in the bathroom and was not sure if I’m dizzy or if it’s an earthquake. My daughter (age 2) fell from a climbing frame at the playground. | One user found this interesting.  
Alexandria / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 20-30 s : Didn't realize it was an earthquake at the beginning, but then things were rattling, and then nothing | One user found this interesting.  
Lardos, Pefki, Rhodes / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : I made some exercises this morning on the floor of my hotel rooms when I noticed that the walls were shaking. | One user found this interesting.  
Kolymbia, Rhodos / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : War erst irritiert. Dann leicht in Sorge. | 2 users found this interesting.  
Rodos island, Afantou village / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : I was...sitting in the toilet in the morning and felt like it shaked three-four times below me. Then it stopped. It was a strange feeling. I thought about the earthquake but concerned it unbelievable.  
Lemesos / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s : Lasted a good 30seconds or more. My furniture was weakly shaking but not immensely. It did get stronger to a light shake before fading again and then stopped.  
Lardos, Pefki, Rhodes / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : I made some exercises this morning on the floor of my hotel rooms when I noticed that the walls were shaking.  
Fethiye / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Was laying in bed. It was like someone hit the bed from the side.after that I sit up I bed and saw the bed shaking. (reported through our app)  
Lindos / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Very Slight shaking of the bed. Then I noticed the hanging light above me moving side to side, again slightly.  
Ialyssos, Rhodes / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : We felt the bed in the hotelroom shaking for some seconds | One user found this interesting.  
Raanana, Israel, sitting at my desk / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s : I was sitting at a desk and just felt my chair shaking very slightly. | One user found this interesting.  
Paphos / Light shaking (MMI IV) : Swaying side to side in a hotel | One user found this interesting.  
Okurcalur / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 2-5 s : I bed felt vibration | One user found this interesting.  
Rhodos Stadt / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Sehr auffälliges Schütteln. Hin und her | One user found this interesting.  
Larnaca, cyprus / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : I was in bed. I felt I was swinging sideways back and forth. | One user found this interesting.  
Heliopolis / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / very short : Windows rattled a bit and I felt the shake under me | One user found this interesting.  
Cyprus, Limassol / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 10-15 s : Bed and light strong shaking couple of second. Awake from dream. | One user found this interesting.  
Antalya konyaalti / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Moderate was sleeping my bed move | One user found this interesting.  
Agia Marina, Chania / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s : Weak shaking | One user found this interesting.  
Kouklia, cyprus / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Gentle shake  
Minies / not felt
Limassol / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Weak  
Archangelos, Rhodos / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Just a little bit shaking.  
Santorini / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / vibration and rolling / 5-10 s
Evans, Chania / not felt : Fire alarm kept going off at restaurant for no reason!!  
Marmaris / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s
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What is Intensity and the Mercalli Intensity Scale?


The amount of shaking that occurs on the surface due to an earthquake is called the intensity. It is commonly measured on the so-called Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale (MMI) ranging from 1 (not felt) to 10 (extreme shaking), and given in Roman numerals as I,II,...IX, X, and often displayed with color codes ranging from light blue to dark red.
Earthquake intensity depends mainly on the magnitude and depth of the quake as well as the distance from the epicenter: The further away, the less shaking intensity occurs.
Read more about the MMI scale!

Compare Quake Data

Data for the same earthquake as reported by different agencies

The more agencies report about the same quake and post similar data, the more confidence you can have in the data. It takes normally up to a few hours until earthquake parameters are calculated with near-optimum precision.
Mag Depth Time GMT
2021-10-19
Epicenter Agency
6.1 58 km
36 mi
05:32:35 Greece: 128 Km SE From Karpathos NOA (National Observatory of Athens)
5.9 19 km
12 mi
05:32:29 Greece: Eastern Mediterranean Sea
26 km (16 mi) epicenter difference with NOA
GFZ (German Research Centre for Geosciences)
6.0 44 km
27 mi
05:32:32 Greece: 156 Km SE From Karpathos
13 km (8.3 mi) epicenter difference with NOA
EMSC (European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre)
5.9 10 km
6.2 mi
(*)
05:32:29 Greece: Near Antalya
6.2 km (3.9 mi) epicenter difference with NOA
RENASS (Réseau National de Surveillance Sismique (RéNaSS))
6.1 28 km
18 mi
05:32:29 Greece: MEDITERRANEAN SEA
28 km (18 mi) epicenter difference with NOA
KOERI-RETMC (Kandilli Oservatory and Earthquake Research Institute in Istanbul)
5.9 42 km
26 mi
05:32:32 147 Km SE of Karpathos, Greece
19 km (12 mi) epicenter difference with NOA
USGS (United States Geological Survey)
5.8 17 km
10.4 mi
05:32:29 Greece [Sea]
23 km (14 mi) epicenter difference with NOA
INGV (Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia)
5.8 27 km
17 mi
05:32:31 Greece: Eastern Mediterranean Sea
10.3 km (6.4 mi) epicenter difference with NOA
GeoAu (Geoscience Australia )
6.0 44 km
27 mi
05:32:00 Greece: östliches Mittelmeer
13 km (8.3 mi) epicenter difference with NOA
ZAMG (Zentralanstalt für Meteorologie und Geodynamik)
Notes:
(*) A depth given as 10 km often means that the the depth of the quake could not determined with sufficient accuracy.

Seismograms

Seismic station: Garni, Armenia (GNI/IU network) | Distance from quake: 1573 km / 978 mi | Show on map | Station Info
Seismic station Garni, Armenia: vertical movement plot around time of quake (source: IRIS/BUD)
Seismogram (vertical component) around time of quake. Thin dotted red line indicates time of quake. Seismic waves arrive some time later, depending on distance. Bandpass filter applied: 0.02-2.0 Hz. Source: IRIS Buffer of Uniform Data (BUD) webtool
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2 aftershocks for this quake

For this earthquake, 2 aftershocks have been detected so far. The strongest was a magnitude 3.3 quake that hit 7 weeks after the mainshock in 0.7 km (0.4 mi) distance, in Greece: 127 Km SE From Karpathos on Friday, Dec 10, 2021 on 02:00 am (- local time GMT +2).

What are aftershocks?


Larger earthquakes (above magnitude 5 or so) such as this one are usually followed by smaller ones known as aftershocks that occur in the same area during the days, weeks, months or even years after the main shock.
[More info]

What about this quake?


Based on its magnitude, the fault that was active during the quake likely ruptured beneath a surface of approx. 126 km2 (=49 sqare miles) as a first-order estimate. The length of the rupture zone thus was probably around 19 km (12 mi).
[More info]


Recorded aftershocks, latest first (2 quakes)

Date and Time GMTMag
Depth
DistanceRegionDetails
Dec 10, 2021 02:00 am (GMT +2)
2 years ago
7 weeks after main shock
3.3

85 km
0.7 km (0.4 mi)
W of main shock
Greece: 127 Km SE From KarpathosMore
Oct 27, 2021 09:49 pm (GMT +2)
2 years ago
9 days after main shock
2.6

8 km
19 km (12 mi)
SE of main shock
Greece: MEDITERRANEAN SEAMore
Oct 19, 2021 07:32 am (GMT +2)
2 years ago - felt
6.1

58 km
0 km - This quakeEastern Mediterranean, Greece, 292 km E of Crete Island
Main Shock (this quake)
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Map of aftershocks

Earthquake statistics

Average number of earthquakes

Based on data from the past 54 years and our earthquake archive back to 1900, there are about 157 quakes on average per year in the area near the epicenter of this quake (within 100 km/61 mi):
  • Mag. 6 or higher: 0.02 quakes per year (or 1 quake every 41.7 years)
  • Mag. 5 or higher: 0.28 quakes per year (or 1 quake every 3.5 years)
  • Mag. 4 or higher: 6.5 quakes per year
  • Mag. 3 or higher: 45 quakes per year (or 3.8 quakes per month)
  • Mag. 2 or higher: 141 quakes per year (or 11.8 quakes per month)
  • Mag. 1 or higher: 155 quakes per year (or 13 quakes per month)
The area where this quake occurred has a high level of seismic activity. It has had at least 3 quakes above magnitude 6 since 1900, which suggests that larger earthquakes of this size occur infrequently, probably on average approximately every 40 to 45 years.

Number of quakes per year

Previous quakes in the same area of this earthquake

Map of earlier quakes in the area of this quake

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