Three consecutive earthquakes struck the Karpathian Sea between the Greek island of Kasos and Lasithi in eastern Crete in the early hours of Wednesday.
According to the revised assessment by the Geodynamic Institute of the National Observatory of Athens, the first quake occurred at 02:43 with a magnitude of 4.1 on the Richter scale. Just seven minutes later, at 02:50, a second earthquake measuring magnitude 3.9 followed in the same maritime area.
The Geodynamic Institute calculated the epicentres of the two quakes at 29 kilometres and 28 kilometres west of Kasos respectively. The first tremor had a focal depth of 14.5 kilometres, while the second occurred at a depth of 12.8 kilometres.
Seismological Data and Discrepancies
The European Mediterranean Seismological Centre provided a slightly different estimate for the seismic activity. The centre calculated the magnitude of both initial tremors at 3.9 on the Richter scale.
Seismic activity off the island coast continued through the early morning hours. The Geodynamic Institute recorded a third tremor measuring magnitude 3.3 in the same sea zone at 03:18 as institutes continued to monitor the region.
Geographic and Geological Background
Kasos is a southern Aegean island belonging to the Dodecanese archipelago, located east of Crete and south of Karpathos. Lasithi is the easternmost regional unit of Crete, bordered by the Karpathian Sea to the east.
The sea zone between Kasos and Crete lies within the Hellenic Arc, an arcuate tectonic feature formed by the subduction of the African plate beneath the Aegean Sea plate. The area is among the most seismically active regions in the Mediterranean, frequently experiencing minor and moderate earthquakes.
The Geodynamic Institute, operating under the National Observatory of Athens, is the main organisation responsible for seismic monitoring in Greece. The European Mediterranean Seismological Centre operates as a regional scientific body that aggregates seismic data from institutions across Europe and the Mediterranean basin.
