M5.5 Earthquake 5 km NNW of Flórina, Greece — January 9, 2022
2022-01-09 21:43:47 UTC (2022-01-09) · approx. 10:43 PM UTC+1 local
Felt by 154 people across surrounding communities. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 6.7 (very strong).
On January 9, 2022 at 21:43 UTC, a magnitude 5.5 shallow crustal earthquake struck 5 km NNW of Flórina, Greece, at a depth of 13.4 km and coordinates 40.8272°, 21.3919°. The earthquake was reported felt by 154 peopleacross surrounding communities, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 6.7 (very strong). The USGS PAGER system issued a yellow alert level for this event, indicating local impact possible. The nearest populated place is Bitola (population 86,528).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.5 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 3 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 3.8 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
What the Shaking Felt Like
At MMI 6.7 (very strong), people in the most strongly affected areas would have experienced: Strong shaking felt by everyone. Heavy furniture may move. Books fall from shelves. Plaster and chimneys may crack. Damage is generally slight in well-built structures.
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
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 154 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
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 | 8,811,221 |
| MMI 4 | light | 975,563 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 33,325 |
| MMI 6 | strong | 89,845 |
| MMI 7 | very strong | 19,392 |
Earthquake Details
21.3919°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.5 earthquake near Flórina, Greece?
The magnitude 5.5 earthquake that struck 5 km NNW of Flórina, Greece on January 9, 2022 at 21:43 UTC had a depth of 13.4 km. It was felt by 154 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 6.7 (very strong). For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 40.8272°, 21.3919°, which is 5 km NNW of Flórina, Greece. The nearest populated place is Bitola (population 86,528). View all earthquakes in Greece.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.5 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 5.5 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000gaex). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2022, January 9, 2022). M5.5 Earthquake 5 km NNW of Flórina, Greece — January 9, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2022 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000gaex/