M4.5 Earthquake 11 km SSE of Palekastro, Greece — December 29, 2024
2024-12-29 08:02:09 UTC (2024-12-29) · approx. 10:02 AM UTC+2 local
Felt by 1 person across nearby locations.
On December 29, 2024 at 08:02 UTC, a magnitude 4.5 shallow crustal earthquake struck 11 km SSE of Palekastro, Greece, at a depth of 44.5 km and coordinates 35.1088°, 26.3233°. This earthquake was detected by 96 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 312, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.5 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 85 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 767 m — 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 1 citizen response 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
26.3233°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.5 earthquake near Palekastro, Greece?
The magnitude 4.5 earthquake that struck 11 km SSE of Palekastro, Greece on December 29, 2024 at 08:02 UTC had a depth of 44.5 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 35.1088°, 26.3233°, which is 11 km SSE of Palekastro, Greece. View all earthquakes in Greece.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.5 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 4.5 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000pg94). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2024, December 29, 2024). M4.5 Earthquake 11 km SSE of Palekastro, Greece — December 29, 2024. Retrieved March 8, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000pg94/