Under land 94 kilometer from Homs in Syria, a shallow MAG-4.5 earthquake occurred around noon of Monday May 8th, 2023. Türkiye, Lebanon, Jordan and Israel are also near its epicenter.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Syria, 94 kilometer (58 mi) east-northeast of Homs. 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: | May 8, 2023 12:25PM (Damascus Time) - May 8, 2023 09:25 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 94 km ENE of Homs, Syria. Coordinates 35°0'36"N 37°42'0"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 4.5 |
| Depth: | 10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Tsunami very unlikely While this was a shallow earthquake, it appears to have occurred under land with a magnitude not strong enough to cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
5 countries can be found within 300km of the epicenter of this earthquake: Syria , Türkiye , Lebanon , Jordan and Israel .
Located 59 kilometer (37 mi) east of the epicenter of this earthquake, As Salamīyah (Hama, Syria) is the nearest significant population center.
Major cities near this earthquake: Aleppo is located 141 km to the north-northwest. Homs is located 94 km to the west-southwest. Beirut is located 237 km to the west-southwest.
The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 59 km (37 mi) W from epicenter |
As Salamīyah Hama, Syria. |
| 73 km (45 mi) SE from epicenter |
Tadmur Homs, Syria. |
| 87 km (54 mi) W from epicenter |
Ḩamāh Hama, Syria. |
| 89 km (55 mi) W from epicenter |
Ar Rastan Homs, Syria. |
| 90 km (56 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Tallbīsah Homs, Syria. |
| 92 km (57 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Şūrān Hama, Syria. |
| 94 km (58 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Homs Homs, Syria. |
| 94 km (58 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Ţayyibat al Imām Hama, Syria. |
| 96 km (60 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Al Qaryatayn Homs, Syria. |
| 103 km (64 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Ḩalfāyā Hama, Syria. |
| 107 km (66 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Khān Shaykhūn Idlib, Syria. |
| 108 km (67 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Kafr Zaytā Hama, Syria. |
| 110 km (68 mi) W from epicenter |
Kafr Lāhā Homs, Syria. |
| 117 km (73 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Al Quşayr Homs, Syria. |
| 120 km (75 mi) NE from epicenter |
Ath Thawrah Ar-Raqqah, Syria. |
| 122 km (76 mi) NNW from epicenter |
As Safīrah Aleppo, Syria. |
| 123 km (76 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Kafranbel Idlib, Syria. |
| 124 km (77 mi) W from epicenter |
Maşyāf Hama, Syria. |
| 125 km (78 mi) NW from epicenter |
Sarāqib Idlib, Syria. |
| 128 km (80 mi) N from epicenter |
Dayr Ḩāfir Aleppo, Syria. |
| 137 km (85 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Tallkalakh Homs, Syria. |
| 138 km (86 mi) NW from epicenter |
Binnish Idlib, Syria. |
| 141 km (88 mi) NW from epicenter |
Idlib Idlib, Syria. |
| 141 km (88 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Aleppo Aleppo, Syria. |
| 141 km (88 mi) SW from epicenter |
An Nabk Rif-dimashq, Syria. |
| 145 km (90 mi) NW from epicenter |
Ma‘arratmişrīn Idlib, Syria. |
| 150 km (93 mi) SW from epicenter |
Yabrūd Rif-dimashq, Syria. |
| 150 km (93 mi) N from epicenter |
Tādif Aleppo, Syria. |
| 152 km (94 mi) N from epicenter |
Al Bāb Aleppo, Syria. |
| 154 km (96 mi) NW from epicenter |
Jisr ash Shughūr Idlib, Syria. |
| 158 km (98 mi) NE from epicenter |
Ar Raqqah Ar-Raqqah, Syria. |
| 160 km (99 mi) W from epicenter |
Bāniyās Tartus, Syria. |
| 166 km (103 mi) W from epicenter |
Ţarţūs Tartus, Syria. |
| 166 km (103 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Jablah Latakia Governorate, Syria. |
| 170 km (106 mi) N from epicenter |
Manbij Aleppo, Syria. |
| 173 km (107 mi) NW from epicenter |
Reyhanlı Hatay, Türkiye. |
| 176 km (109 mi) SW from epicenter |
Baalbek Baalbek-Hermel, Lebanon. |
| 181 km (112 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Tripoli Liban-Nord, Lebanon. |
| 183 km (114 mi) NNW from epicenter |
‘Afrīn Aleppo, Syria. |
| 183 km (114 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Latakia Latakia Governorate, Syria. |
| 185 km (115 mi) NNW from epicenter |
I‘zāz Aleppo, Syria. |
| 193 km (120 mi) NW from epicenter |
Antakya Hatay, Türkiye. |
| 197 km (122 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Kilis Kilis, Türkiye. |
| 199 km (124 mi) SW from epicenter |
Dūmā Rif-dimashq, Syria. |
| 210 km (130 mi) SW from epicenter |
Zahlé Béqaa, Lebanon. |
| 210 km (130 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Rukban Mafraq, Jordan. |
| 211 km (131 mi) SW from epicenter |
Damascus Dimashq, Syria. |
| 222 km (138 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Jounieh Mont-Liban, Lebanon. |
| 223 km (139 mi) NW from epicenter |
İskenderun Hatay, Türkiye. |
| 225 km (140 mi) E from epicenter |
Deir ez-Zor Deir ez-Zor, Syria. |
| 230 km (143 mi) N from epicenter |
Gaziantep Gaziantep, Türkiye. |
| 237 km (147 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Beirut Beyrouth, Lebanon. |
| 238 km (148 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Ra’s Bayrūt Beyrouth, Lebanon. |
| 259 km (161 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Şanlıurfa Şanlıurfa, Türkiye. |
| 264 km (164 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Osmaniye Osmaniye, Türkiye. |
| 265 km (165 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Inkhil Daraa, Syria. |
| 268 km (167 mi) SW from epicenter |
Sidon South Governorate, Lebanon. |
| 272 km (169 mi) SW from epicenter |
Al Qunayţirah Quneitra, Syria. |
| 273 km (170 mi) SW from epicenter |
Nabatîyé et Tahta Nabatîyé, Lebanon. |
| 276 km (171 mi) SSW from epicenter |
As-Suwayda As-Suwayda, Syria. |
| 280 km (174 mi) SW from epicenter |
Qiryat Shmona Northern District, Israel. |
| 281 km (175 mi) NW from epicenter |
Ceyhan Adana, Türkiye. |
| 295 km (183 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Kahramanmaraş Kahramanmaraş, Türkiye. |
| 299 km (186 mi) N from epicenter |
Besni Adıyaman, Türkiye. |
2 Aftershocks detected
After this earthquake struck, 2 smaller aftershocks occurred. At a distance of 4 km (2.4 mi) west-southwest of this earthquake, an aftershock struck 18 hrs later. It measured a magnitude of 4.4
In the days before this main shock, 1 smaller foreshock was detected. Nearby this earthquake a foreshock struck 1 day earlier. It measured a magnitude of 3.4
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 3.4 |
1 day earlier May 7, 2023 05:26AM (Damascus Time) | 65 km (40 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 4.5 |
May 8, 2023 12:25PM (Damascus Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 3.7 |
6 mins later May 8, 2023 12:30PM (Damascus Time) | 6 km (4 mi) WNW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.4 |
18 hrs later May 9, 2023 06:52AM (Damascus Time) | 4 km (2.4 mi) WSW 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.
The chance that a significant earthquake like this one is followed by an even larger earthquake is not so large. On average, scientists estimate a 94% chance that a major earthquake will not be followed by an even larger one. It is still adviced to be aware of this risk
Read: How to Stay Safe during an Earthquake (cdc.gov).Earthquakes like this happen often in the region
Earthquakes of this strength are very common in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since May 7th, 2023, when a 4.7 magnitude earthquake hit 200 km (125 mi) further northwest. An even stronger magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck on February 6th, 2023.
In total, 82 earthquakes with a magnitude of 4.5 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 2 months.
Tsunami very unlikely
While MAG-6.5+ earthquakes may cause tsunami's, it appears that the epicenter of this earthquake hit under land. In addition, the reported depth is deeper than 100km, making the risk of a tsunami even less likely. However always 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 | Not this earthquake. This earthquake appears to have struck on land far from any coast. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 4.5. 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 07/07/23 03:37 (). This article contains currently available information about the earthquake and is automatically composed. We continue to update this article up to a few days after the earthquake occurred.
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20230508_0000088
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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