M5.4 Earthquake 89 km SSE of Ierápetra, Greece — October 2, 2022
2022-10-02 04:04:01 UTC (2022-10-02) · approx. 6:04 AM UTC+2 local
On October 2, 2022 at 04:04 UTC, a magnitude 5.4 shallow crustal earthquake struck 89 km SSE of Ierápetra, Greece, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 34.2663°, 26.1135°. The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 112 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 449, placing it among routine seismic activity. The nearest populated place is Kentri (population 1,021).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.4 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 2 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 3.2 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
The epicenter is located in Greece, a region characterized by the Hellenic subduction zone, where the African Plate subducts northward beneath the Aegean at roughly 35 mm per year. The nearest mapped fault system is the Hellenic Trench. View all earthquakes in Greece.
Learn more: Magnitude scale · Aftershock sequences
Nearest Populated Places
ShakeMap — predicted shaking intensity
Modeled ground-motion intensity contoured on the Modified Mercalli scale (MMI). Computed by the USGS from the moment-tensor solution and regional ground-motion prediction equations.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS
Population exposure (USGS PAGER)
Estimated population that experienced each level of shaking. Based on the USGS PAGER rapid impact assessment, which combines ShakeMap output with global population grids.
| Shaking intensity (MMI) | Description | Population exposed |
|---|---|---|
| MMI 3 | weak | 459,788 |
| MMI 4 | light | 2,082 |
Earthquake Details
26.1135°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.4 earthquake near Ierápetra, Greece?
The magnitude 5.4 earthquake that struck 89 km SSE of Ierápetra, Greece on October 2, 2022 at 04:04 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 34.2663°, 26.1135°, which is 89 km SSE of Ierápetra, Greece. The nearest populated place is Kentri (population 1,021). View all earthquakes in Greece.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.4 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
Has Greece had earthquakes this big before?
The largest recorded earthquake in Greece was the M8.5 Crete earthquake of June 29, 1303. Today's magnitude 5.4 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000iq4q). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2022, October 2, 2022). M5.4 Earthquake 89 km SSE of Ierápetra, Greece — October 2, 2022. Retrieved December 10, 2022 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000iq4q/