Magnitude 4.3 Earthquake Strikes Near Larisa, Greece

A 4.3-magnitude earthquake struck the region near Larisa in central Greece on Tuesday, the Athens-based Institute of Geodynamics reported.

The quake’s epicenter was ten kilometers southwest of the town of Tyrnavos. The tremor occurred at 9:36 a.m. local time at a depth 12.2 km, the institute reported.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injury.

The exact magnitude, epicenter, and depth of the quake might be revised within the next few hours or minutes as seismologists review data and refine their calculations, or as other agencies issue their report.

A second report was later issued by the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC), which listed it as a magnitude 4.3 earthquake, as well.

Based on preliminary seismic data, the quake was probably felt by many people in the area of the epicenter. It should not have caused significant damage other than objects falling from shelves or broken windows.

Greece is especially earthquake-prone

Greece lies in a highly seismically-active region. The vast majority of earthquakes cause no damage or injuries, however.

In October 2020, an earthquake that struck the eastern Greek Aegean island of Samos and the nearby Turkish coast killed two people on Samos and at least seventy-five people in Turkey.

The country is located in a complex geological boundary zone in the eastern Mediterranean between the African Plate and the Eurasian Plate.

The northern part of Greece lies on the Eurasian Plate while the southern part lies on the Aegean Sea Plate.

The Aegean Sea Plate is moving southwestward with respect to the Eurasian Plate at about 30 mm (one inch) per year while the African Plate is subducting northward beneath the Aegean Sea Plate at a rate of about 40 mm (1.6 inches) per year.