M4.8 Earthquake 37 km WNW of Sérifos, Greece — March 31, 2023
2023-03-31 16:05:17 UTC (2023-03-31) · approx. 6:05 PM UTC+2 local
Felt by 4 people across nearby locations.
On March 31, 2023 at 16:05 UTC, a magnitude 4.8 intermediate depth earthquake struck 37 km WNW of Sérifos, Greece, at a depth of 129.1 km and coordinates 37.2680°, 24.1069°. This earthquake was detected by 75 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 356, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.8 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 239 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.2 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
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 4 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report
Earthquake Details
24.1069°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.8 earthquake near Sérifos, Greece?
The magnitude 4.8 earthquake that struck 37 km WNW of Sérifos, Greece on March 31, 2023 at 16:05 UTC had a depth of 129.1 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 37.2680°, 24.1069°, which is 37 km WNW of Sérifos, Greece. View all earthquakes in Greece.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.8 earthquakes can continue for several days 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 4.8 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000k168). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, March 31, 2023). M4.8 Earthquake 37 km WNW of Sérifos, Greece — March 31, 2023. Retrieved June 3, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000k168/