6.2

M6.2 Earthquake 66 km SE of Emporeío, Greece — May 22, 2025

2025-05-22 03:19:35 UTC (2025-05-22) · approx. 5:19 AM UTC+2 local

Felt by 819 people across surrounding communities. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 6.8 (very strong).

MagnitudeM6.2(mww)
Time03:19 UTC≈ 5:19 AM UTC+2
Depth64.0 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates35.892°, 25.916°
Felt by819DYFI responses· max MMI 6.8
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS· yellow PAGER
yellow Alert— local impact possible

On May 22, 2025 at 03:19 UTC, a magnitude 6.2 shallow crustal earthquake struck 66 km SE of Emporeío, Greece, at a depth of 64.0 km and coordinates 35.8915°, 25.9159°. The earthquake was reported felt by 819 peopleacross surrounding communities, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 6.8 (very strong). The USGS PAGER system issued a yellow alert level for this event, indicating local impact possible. This earthquake was detected by 168 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 1223, making it one of the most significant global earthquakes in recent days. The nearest populated place is Irakleion (population 137,154).

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 6.2 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 30 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 11 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

Irakleionpop. 137,154
MMI 6.6 (very strong)
Nea Alikarnassospop. 11,886
MMI 6.6 (very strong)
Gazipop. 12,606
MMI 6.1 (very strong)
Eloundapop. 2,193
MMI 6.0 (very strong)
Skalanionpop. 1,012
MMI 6.0 (very strong)
Gournespop. 1,628
MMI 6.0 (strong)

What the Shaking Felt Like

At MMI 6.8 (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.

Map showing earthquake epicenter at 35.89°, 25.92°

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.

USGS ShakeMap intensity contours for the M6.2 earthquake near 66 km SE of Emporeío, Greece

Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS

Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking

Aggregated felt-report intensity from 819 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.

USGS DYFI community-reported intensity map for the M6.2 earthquake near 66 km SE of Emporeío, Greece

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)DescriptionPopulation exposed
MMI 3weak809,121
MMI 4light1,018,434
MMI 5moderate91,956
MMI 6strong100,099
MMI 7very strong98,867

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
6.2 mww
Depth
64.0 km
shallow crustal
Location
35.8915°N
25.9159°E
Felt Reports
819
DYFI responses
Intensity (MMI)
6.8
very strong
Community Intensity
7.0
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
us7000q0pq
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
1223
Stations Used
168
Azimuthal Gap
35.0°
Min Station Distance
1.030°
RMS Residual
0.78 sec
Last Updated
2025-08-13 15:14:30 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 6.2 earthquake near Emporeío, Greece?

The magnitude 6.2 earthquake that struck 66 km SE of Emporeío, Greece on May 22, 2025 at 03:19 UTC had a depth of 64.0 km. It was felt by 819 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 6.8 (very strong). For context, this was a strong earthquake capable of causing significant damage.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at 35.8915°, 25.9159°, which is 66 km SE of Emporeío, Greece. The nearest populated place is Irakleion (population 137,154). View all earthquakes in Greece.

Were there aftershocks?

Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 6.2 earthquakes can continue for weeks to months 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 6.2 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.

Actions

View on USGSDid You Feel It?

Location

Greece
View all Greece earthquakes

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000q0pq). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2025, May 22, 2025). M6.2 Earthquake 66 km SE of Emporeío, Greece — May 22, 2025. Retrieved August 13, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000q0pq/