Shallow M5.1 Earthquake hit near Tríkala in Greece on Thursday Afternoon.

Written by Earthquakelist.org on March 12th, 2026. Last updated April 1st, 2026.

Under land 36 kilometer from Tríkala in Greece, a shallow and significant MAG-5.1 earthquake occurred around noon of Thursday March 12th, 2026. Shaking may have been felt by a total of 8 million people. Other nearby countries are Albania, North Macedonia and Bulgaria.

Felt the earthquake? Share this article:

Earthquake Summary

The earthquake struck on land in Greece, 36 kilometer (22 mi) southwest of Tríkala in Thessaly. 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:	Mar 12, 2026 12:14 (Athens Time) - Mar 12, 2026 10:14 Universal Time.
Location:	36 km SW of Tríkala, Thessaly, Greece. Coordinates 39°15'49"N 21°35'53"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.1 Detected by 170 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.044 .
Depth:	10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	VII Very Strong On the Modified Mercalli Scale.
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.

Minimal impact predicted

Based on scientific estimates by the US Geographic Survey (USGS), the risk of high fatalities for this earthquake is classified at level GREEN (low). They expect an 65% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities, and a 96% chance that the number of fatalities falls no higher than 10.

The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level GREEN (low). They expect an 99% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact.

Roughly 8 million people exposed to shaking

An estimated 8 million have been exposed to shaking (An MMI or Modified Mercalli Intensity level II or higher) as a result of this earthquake according scientific estimates published by the USGS.

Very strong shaking and likely moderate damage may have been experienced by an estimated 40 people. At VII, it is the highest MMI level this earthquake has caused. Intensity level II was experienced by the majority of people (around 6.6 million). In their region, very weak shaking and no damage can be expected.

People in 3 countries have been exposed to shaking. In Greece , around 7.4 million people, with impact levels up to VII (very strong shaking, likely moderate damage). In Albania , around 0.9 million people. People were exposed to shaking in North Macedonia as well.

Nearby towns and cities

4 countries can be found within 300km of the epicenter of this earthquake: Greece , Albania , North Macedonia and Bulgaria .

Located 30 kilometer (19 mi) west of the epicenter of this earthquake, Kardítsa (Thessaly, Greece) is the nearest significant population center. Kardítsa experienced an earthquake intensity (MMI Scale) of roughly IV. That level implies light shaking and likely no damage.

Major cities near this earthquake: Athens is located 233 km to the south-east and experienced an intensity of II (very weak shaking, no damage). Thessaloníki is located 191 km to the north-east and experienced an intensity of II (very weak shaking, no damage). Lárisa is located 82 km to the north-east and experienced an intensity of III (weak shaking, probably no damage).

The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake. Where available, the estimated intensity on the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale in each place is included. Places where this information is omitted likely experienced little impact.

Overview of nearby places

Earthquake Intensity Map

The maximum intensity (MMI Scale) caused by this earthquake is VII. The map below shows in which areas this earthquake was the most and least impactful. It is based on data from the US Geographic Survey.

I Not felt

II Weak

III Weak

IV Light

V Moderate

VI Strong

VII Very Strong

VIII Severe

IX Violent

X Extreme

Shaking reported by 4 people

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 4 people have reported shaking in 4 places, all within Greece.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.

Places with most reports:

• Kardítsa, Kardítsa, Greece: 1 person.
• Agrínion, Aitolía kai Akarnanía, Greece: 1 person.
• Lárisa, Lárisa, Greece: 1 person.
• Pátrai, Ahaia, Greece: 1 person.

9 Aftershocks detected

Since this main shock, 9 smaller aftershocks were detected. A 4 magnitude earthquake hit 8 hrs later 4 km (2.5 mi) west of this earthquake.

This main shock was prefaced by 11 smaller foreshocks. A 3.5 magnitude earthquake hit 23 hrs earlier nearby.

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

More earthquakes coming?

Aftershocks are usually at least 1 order of magnitude less strong than main shocks. The more time passes, the smaller the chance and likely strength of any potential aftershocks.

It's always adviced to be cautious of the risk of a larger shock following any significant earthquake, however this risk is fairly small. There is a roughly 94 percent change that no larger main shock will follow in the days following this earthquake.

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 March 8th, 2026, when a 5.5 magnitude earthquake hit 92 km (57 mi) further northwest. An even stronger magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck on October 25th, 2018.

In total, 33 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.

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

Sources

Last updated 01/04/26 12:18 (). This article is automatically generated based on available data. We keep checking multiple sources for additional information. This article gets updated as new details on this earthquake become available.

1. US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000sft6
2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260312_0000138
3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
4. Google Maps: Static API
5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

Share this article: