Earthquake of Crete: New warnings and travel trends in the Mediterranean
Earthquake of Crete: New warnings and travel trends in the Mediterranean
On May 22, 2025 at 5:19 a.m., the island of Crete, Greece, was shaken by a strong earthquake with a magnitude of 6.1. This quake was the second in just one week after a quake of the same strength had occurred on May 14, 2025. The epicenter of the first quake was between the Greek islands of Kasos and Karpathos. Both earthquakes are tectonic in nature and are in no direct connection with each other or with the earthquakes at Santorini, reports Mercury.
In total, there have been around 86 earthquakes in the region in the last 24 hours, including another strong quake with a thickness of 6.1, which was registered 81 km northeast of Heraklion. According to the Volcanodiscovery protocols, a total of 791 quakes have been recorded in the last 90 days, which underlines the region's seismic activity.
seismic activities and history
Historically, tectonic quake in the Mediterranean, especially before Crete, are not unusual. An important earthquake with a magnitude of 7 occurred there in 1856. The Hellenic subduction zone, in which the African plate slips about ten millimeters annually under the Aegean plate, is one of the main causes for these seismic activities. Last year around 20 quakes were perceived with a thickness of five or higher.The analysis of the seismic data shows that the average number of earthquakes in Crete in the past 25 years is 0.03 per year for strength 7 or higher and 0.26 for strength 6 or higher. These figures make it clear that stronger earthquakes are relatively rare and the likelihood of a swarm of earthquake is currently classified as low.
travel risks and security measures
Despite the latest quakes, Greek civil defense points out that trips to Greece are associated with a general risk of earthquakes, but this risk is classified as consistently low. The civil protection authorities in Greece are well positioned to react to such natural events. After yesterday's earthquake, tsunami warnings were sent via SMS, but a tsunami did not occur.
Analyzes of seismic energy, which was released during the last quake, are around 8.9 x 10^13 joules, which roughly corresponds to the energy that is released at 1.3 atomic bombs. Aftershofs are likely, but hardly noticeable for most people. It is also pointed out that voltage transmissions between different zones could trigger further quakes, but the likelihood of another strong quake is considered low.
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| Ort | Kreta, Griechenland |
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