In the evening of Wednesday August 28th, 2024, a significant Magnitude 5.1 earthquake hit in the Mediterranean Sea, Eastern Basin 81 kilometer from Chaniá, Greece. Libya is also near its epicenter.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the Mediterranean Sea, Eastern Basin, 45 kilometers (28 mi) off the coast of Greece, 81 kilometer south-southeast of Chaniá in Crete. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 40 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Aug 28, 2024 19:29 (Athens Time) - Aug 28, 2024 16:29 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 81 km SSE of Chaniá, Crete, Greece. Coordinates 34°47'54"N 24°12'37"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 29 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.058 . |
| Depth: | 40 km (25 mi) A quite shallow depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Low tsunami risk Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 do not usually cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake struck within proximity of multiple countries. Greece and Libya are both within 300km distance of its epicenter.
Located 68 kilometer (42 mi) south-southwest of the epicenter of this earthquake, Rethymno (Crete, Greece) is the nearest significant population center.
A complete list of nearby places is included below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 68 km (42 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Rethymno Crete, Greece. |
| 81 km (50 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Chaniá Crete, Greece. |
| 103 km (64 mi) NE from epicenter |
Irákleion Crete, Greece. |
| 269 km (167 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Darnah Darnah, Libya. |
| 291 km (181 mi) SW from epicenter |
Al Qubbah Darnah, Libya. |
| 300 km (186 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Sparta Peloponnese, Greece. |
Shaking reported by 35 people in 3 countries
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 35 people have reported shaking in 14 places in 3 countries (Cyprus, Greece, Lebanon).We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.
Places with most reports:
- Khanía, Haniá, Greece: 6 people.
- Vríses, Haniá, Greece: 5 people.
- Yeráni, Haniá, Greece: 5 people.
- Réthimnon, Rethímni, Greece: 4 people.
- Pérama, Rethímni, Greece: 3 people.
- Ayía Marína, Haniá, Greece: 2 people.
- Kolimvári, Haniá, Greece: 2 people.
- Iráklion, Iráklion, Greece: 2 people.
- Pafos, Government controlled area, Cyprus: 1 person.
- Galatás, Attikí, Greece: 1 person.
11 Aftershocks detected
After this earthquake struck, 11 smaller aftershocks occurred. At a distance of 66 km (41 mi) east of this earthquake, an aftershock struck 1 day later. It measured a magnitude of 3.6
Before this earthquake struck, 15 smaller foreshocks occurred. A 3.5 magnitude earthquake hit 3 days earlier nearby.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 2.9 |
3 days earlier Aug 25, 2024 21:34 (Athens Time) | 65 km (40 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.9 |
3 days earlier Aug 26, 2024 01:42 (Athens Time) | 65 km (40 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.2 |
3 days earlier Aug 26, 2024 02:17 (Athens Time) | 66 km (41 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.3 |
3 days earlier Aug 26, 2024 05:37 (Athens Time) | 19 km (12 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.5 |
3 days earlier Aug 26, 2024 05:38 (Athens Time) | 17 km (10 mi) WNW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.3 |
3 days earlier Aug 26, 2024 06:35 (Athens Time) | 15 km (9 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.7 |
2 days earlier Aug 26, 2024 13:44 (Athens Time) | 63 km (39 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.2 |
2 days earlier Aug 26, 2024 17:50 (Athens Time) | 64 km (40 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.7 |
2 days earlier Aug 27, 2024 00:29 (Athens Time) | 31 km (19 mi) ESE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.8 |
2 days earlier Aug 27, 2024 02:46 (Athens Time) | 64 km (40 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.6 |
1 day earlier Aug 27, 2024 07:46 (Athens Time) | 66 km (41 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.6 |
1 day earlier Aug 27, 2024 15:45 (Athens Time) | 64 km (40 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.2 |
1 day earlier Aug 27, 2024 18:28 (Athens Time) | 64 km (40 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.8 |
22 hrs earlier Aug 27, 2024 21:19 (Athens Time) | 96 km (60 mi) ENE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.1 |
19 hrs earlier Aug 28, 2024 00:33 (Athens Time) | 64 km (39 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.1 |
Aug 28, 2024 19:29 (Athens Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 3.0 |
17 mins later Aug 28, 2024 19:46 (Athens Time) | 6 km (3 mi) W from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.1 |
18 mins later Aug 28, 2024 19:47 (Athens Time) | 6 km (3 mi) WNW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.6 |
13 hrs later Aug 29, 2024 08:50 (Athens Time) | 69 km (43 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.5 |
23 hrs later Aug 29, 2024 18:45 (Athens Time) | 63 km (39 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.2 |
1 day later Aug 29, 2024 23:17 (Athens Time) | 67 km (41 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.9 |
1 day later Aug 30, 2024 00:07 (Athens Time) | 65 km (41 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.9 |
1 day later Aug 30, 2024 04:08 (Athens Time) | 66 km (41 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.6 |
1 day later Aug 30, 2024 04:35 (Athens Time) | 66 km (41 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.5 |
1 day later Aug 30, 2024 05:44 (Athens Time) | 65 km (41 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.9 |
2 days later Aug 30, 2024 07:43 (Athens Time) | 65 km (41 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.1 |
2 days later Aug 30, 2024 10:52 (Athens Time) | 65 km (40 mi) E 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 July 21st, 2024, when a 5.3 magnitude earthquake hit 91 km (57 mi) further west. An even stronger magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck on May 2nd, 2020.
In total, 31 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.1 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 4 months.
Low tsunami risk
Based on early data it appears this earthquake was not strong enough (lower than MAG-6.5) to be likely to cause destructive tsunami's. However this earthquake appeared to have hit at a shallow depth under sea, so 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 | This earthquake appears to have struck under the sea. | Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.1. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 40 km (25 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 17/09/24 02:08 (). 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.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000nn9g
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20240828_0000159
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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