2018 Ionian Sea earthquake

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2018 Ionian Sea earthquake
2018-10-25 Mouzaki, Greece M6.8 earthquake shakemap (USGS).jpg
Greece relief location map.jpg
Bullseye1.png
UTC  time2018-10-25 22:54:51
ISC  event 613514189
USGS-ANSS ComCat
Local dateOctober 26, 2018 (2018-10-26)
Local time01:54:51 EEST
Magnitude6.8 Mw
Depth14 km (8.7 mi)
Epicenter 37°30′22″N20°33′47″E / 37.506°N 20.563°E / 37.506; 20.563 Coordinates: 37°30′22″N20°33′47″E / 37.506°N 20.563°E / 37.506; 20.563
Max. intensity VII (Very strong)
Tsunami~20 cm
Aftershocks172 M 4.0+ (As of November 15, 2018) [1]
Casualties3 injured

A strong earthquake measuring magnitude Mw6.8 occurred in the Ionian Sea near the coasts of Greece during the night between 25 and 26 October 2018 at 22:54:51 UTC (01:54:51 in Greece). [2] Sea level changes were predicted, [3] and a tsunami advisory was issued. [4] Reports of sea level change of up to 20 centimeters were reported in Greece and Italy. [5]

The epicenter was located about 133 km from Patras. The earthquake occurred 14 km below the surface. [5] Power outages were reported on the island of Zakynthos, and a 15th century monastery was also damaged on the islands of Strofades. [6] [5] The port of Zakynthos also sustained major damage, and a state of emergency was declared in the municipality. [7] Services around Zakynthos were affected, and schools were closed on October 26. [8] Tax relief was also extended into January in order to support the local tourism industry. [9]

Other structures were damaged, but despite the magnitude of the event, there were no reported serious injuries or casualties. [10] About 120 homes were left uninhabitable, and the town laterally shifted 5 centimeters as a result of the earthquake. [11] A strict building code was cited as a possible reason for the limited amount of damage, as Zakynthos suffered major damage from a 1953 earthquake. [8] [5]

The event was felt in eight countries, including in the Balkans, Italy, Malta as well as coasts of Africa and Turkey. [12] [13]

The main shock was followed by multiple aftershocks in the following days, including undersea aftershocks of magnitude 4.4 and 5 over a week after the initial earthquake. [14] The largest reported aftershock was of magnitude 5.6 the day of the initial earthquake. [15]

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References

  1. "USGS earthquake catalog".
  2. "Earthquake, Magnitude 6.8 - IONIAN SEA - 2018 October 25, 22:54:51 UTC". EMSC-CSEM. Retrieved 2018-10-26.
  3. "Earthquake, Magnitude 6.8 - IONIAN SEA - 2018 October 25, 22:54:51 UTC". EMSC-CSEM. Retrieved 2018-10-26.
  4. "Overall Green Earthquake alert in Greece on 25 Oct 2018 22:54 UTC". www.gdacs.org. Retrieved 2018-10-26.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "6.8 magnitude earthquake impacts Greek island". abc.net.au. 27 October 2018. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
  6. "Strong quake off Greece, no early reports of damage, injuries". Reuters . Retrieved 2018-10-26.
  7. "Zakynthos quake prompts state of emergency". Ekathimerini.com.
  8. 1 2 "Schools and services in Zakynthos to remain closed after massive earthquake hits". 2018-10-26. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
  9. "Tourism flows to Zakynthos strong: No quake impact, say hoteliers". 5 November 2018. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  10. "Watch the moment the 6.4 earthquake struck in Zakynthos (videos)" . Retrieved 2018-10-26.
  11. Kokkinidis, Tasos (3 November 2018). "Two earthquakes jolt Greece's Ionian islands on Saturday". Greekreporter.com. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
  12. EMSC [@LastQuake] (26 October 2018). "M6.8 #earthquake was a truly international quake felt up to 800 km in at least 8 countries (Malta, Libya, Italy, Greece, Macedonia, Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Turkey) t.co/gt2oVn5tLS" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 15 May 2022. Retrieved 10 February 2023 via Twitter.
  13. "Powerful quake shakes western Greece, no major injuries" . Retrieved 2018-10-26.
  14. "Two earthquake aftershocks felt on Zakynthos Island". 2018-11-04.
  15. "Quake damages harbor, knocks out some power on Greek island".

Further reading