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Strong mag. 5.1 earthquake - Eastern Mediterranean, 99 km south of Birkirkara, Malta, on Monday, Jan 23, 2023 at 11:37 am (GMT +1) -

Strong mag. 5.1 earthquake - Eastern Mediterranean, 99 km south of Birkirkara, Malta, on Monday, Jan 23, 2023 at 11:37 am (GMT +1) Strong mag. 5.1 earthquake - Eastern Mediterranean, 99 km south of Birkirkara, Malta, on Monday, Jan 23, 2023 at 11:37 am (GMT +1)

Strong magnitude 5.1 earthquake at 10 km depth

23 Jan 10:41 UTC: First to report: VolcanoDiscovery after 4 minutes.
23 Jan 10:42: Now using data updates from GFZ
23 Jan 10:44: Magnitude recalculated from 5.0 to 4.9. Epicenter location corrected by 9.3 km (5.8 mi) towards NNW.
23 Jan 10:57: Now using data updates from USGS
Update Mon, 23 Jan 2023, 10:57

Moderate 4.9 quake hits near Birkirkara, Malta

4.9 quake 23 Jan 11:37 am (GMT +1)
4.9 quake 23 Jan 11:37 am (GMT +1)
An earthquake of magnitude 4.9 occurred only 19 minutes ago 113 km south of Birkirkara, Malta, the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) reported.
The quake hit at a shallow depth of 10 km beneath the epicenter near Birkirkara, Malta, in the morning on Monday, January 23rd, 2023, at 11:37 am local time. 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 citizen-seismograph network of RaspberryShake, which listed it as a magnitude 4.9 earthquake as well. Other agencies reporting the same quake include the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) at magnitude 5.0, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) at magnitude 5.0, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) at magnitude 5.0, and the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) at magnitude 5.0.
Based on the preliminary seismic data, the quake should not have caused any significant damage, but was probably felt by many people as light vibration in the area of the epicenter.
Weak shaking might have been felt in Żurrieq (pop. 9,100) located 106 km from the epicenter, and Mqabba (pop. 2,900) 108 km away.
Other towns or cities near the epicenter where the quake might have been felt as very weak shaking include Qormi (pop. 18,200) located 111 km from the epicenter, Mdina (pop. 360) 111 km away, Paula (pop. 9,300) 111 km away, Imtarfa (pop. 2,400) 112 km away, Birkirkara (pop. 21,700) 113 km away, Senglea (pop. 3,000) 113 km away, Birgu (pop. 2,900) 114 km away, Floriana (pop. 2,500) 114 km away, Ta'Xbiex (pop. 1,600) 114 km away, and Valleta (pop. 6,800) 115 km away.
VolcanoDiscovery will automatically update magnitude and depth if these change and follow up if other significant news about the quake become available. If you're in the area, please send us your experience through our reporting mechanism, either online or via our mobile app. This will help us provide more first-hand updates to anyone around the globe who wants to know more about this quake.

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Earthquake details

Date & timeJan 23, 2023 10:37:52 UTC -
Local time at epicenterMonday, Jan 23, 2023 at 11:37 am (GMT +1)
StatusConfirmed
Magnitude5.1
Depth10.0 km
Epicenter latitude / longitude35.0331°N / 14.1929°E (Eastern Mediterranean, Malta)
Antipode35.033°S / 165.807°W
Shaking intensityWeak shaking
Felt45 reports
Primary data sourceUSGS (United States Geological Survey)
Nearby towns and cities92 km (57 mi) SSW of Żurrieq (pop: 9,150) | Show on map | Quakes nearby
94 km (58 mi) SSW of Mqabba (pop: 2,890) | Show on map | Quakes nearby
97 km (60 mi) S of Mdina (pop: 360) | Show on map | Quakes nearby
97 km (60 mi) SSW of Qormi (pop: 18,200) | Show on map | Quakes nearby
97 km (61 mi) SSW of Paula (pop: 9,260) | Show on map | Quakes nearby
97 km (61 mi) S of Imtarfa (pop: 2,430) | Show on map | Quakes nearby
99 km (62 mi) SSW of Birkirkara (pop: 21,700) | Show on map | Quakes nearby
99 km (62 mi) SSW of Senglea (pop: 2,960) | Show on map | Quakes nearby
100 km (62 mi) SSW of Birgu (pop: 2,940) | Show on map | Quakes nearby
100 km (62 mi) SSW of Floriana (pop: 2,520) | Show on map | Quakes nearby
100 km (62 mi) SSW of Ta’ Xbiex (pop: 1,640) | Show on map | Quakes nearby
101 km (63 mi) SSW of Valleta (pop: 6,790) | Show on map | Quakes nearby
111 km (69 mi) S of Għajnsielem (pop: 3,260) | Show on map | Quakes nearby
97 km (60 mi) SSW of Malta Island (pop: 388,200) | Show on map | Quakes nearby
Weather at epicenter at time of quakeBroken Clouds 13.4°C (56 F), humidity: 51%, wind: 7 m/s (13 kts) from WSW
Estimated seismic energy released2.8 x 1012 joules (783 megawatt hours, equivalent to 674 tons of TNT) | about seismic energy
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Data for the same earthquake reported by different agencies

Info: The more agencies report about the same quake and post similar data, the more confidence you can have in the data. It takes normally up to a few hours until earthquake parameters are calculated with near-optimum precision.
Mag.DepthLocationSource
5.110 kmMalta: Central Mediterranean SeaUSGS
5.110 kmMALTA REGIONEMSC
5.110 kmMalta: Central Mediterranean SeaRaspberryShake
5.110 km92 Km SSW of Qrendi, MaltaGFZ
4.920 kmMalta [Sea]INGV
5.110 kmMalta: Central Mediterranean SeaIRIS
5.110 kmMalta: Central Mediterranean SeaGeoAu

User reports for this quake (46)

User reports estimate the perceived ground shaking intensity according to the MMI (Modified Mercalli Intensity) scale.
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Xemxija / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / very short : Horizontal weak shaking, indoor plants moving a bit, windows as well (like someone is smashing a door and the implus hits the windows) | 5 users found this interesting.  
mosta (100.4 km N of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : second floor, located on top of premier cars showroom, sitting down on my desk in front of the computer felt swinging left to right - water in the tea was slightly moving, empty bottle on the table was swinging too. similar occurred last week this time was longer seconds | 4 users found this interesting.  
Sliema (101.4 km NNE of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / very short : my bed started moving horizontally and so did the lamp | 4 users found this interesting.  
Gzira (101 km NNE of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) : Playing video games. The sofa started to move | 3 users found this interesting.  
Valleta (100.4 km NNE of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : 1 vase wobbling, but also felt the shaking sitting down. | 2 users found this interesting.  
Mellieha (MLH) Malta (105.1 km N of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Sitting down, chandelier starting rattling few seconds before | 2 users found this interesting.  
Marsaskala (97.7 km NNE of epicenter) [Map] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / both vertical and horizontal swinging : Brief shaking with my office chair moving | 2 users found this interesting.  
St pauls (103 km N of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) : The apartment was shaking | 2 users found this interesting.  
Sliema / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Felt wobbling in the floors and my tv unit was wobbling too | 2 users found this interesting.  
Victoria Gozo (111.6 km N of epicenter) [Map] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : Sitting on bed and felt it wobble | One user found this interesting.  
malta birkika (104 km N of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : I felt moving | One user found this interesting.  
IZ-ZURRIEQ / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Ground floor location. Decorations started rattling. No other significant movements. | One user found this interesting.  
sliema (101.2 km NNE of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s
malta (14.4 km S of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s
Mellieha (104.7 km N of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s
Bahrija (96.9 km N of epicenter) [Map] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s
Mellieha (16.5 km S of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s
zebbug (96.6 km NNE of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / very short : Things started moving slightly  
Ghaxaq (95.4 km NNE of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s
sliema (102.2 km NNE of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s
Sliema, Malta (101.5 km NNE of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s
Xemxija (103.3 km N of epicenter) [Map] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s
Sliema (102.1 km NNE of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV)
Sliema (102.3 km NNE of epicenter) [Map] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s
sliema (101.4 km NNE of epicenter) [Map] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s
Malta (100 km NNE of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s
Swatar (99.7 km NNE of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s
Malta (98.2 km NNE of epicenter) [Map] / Very weak shaking (MMI II)
San gwann (100.6 km NNE of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / very short
Birkirkara / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s
Sliema / Weak shaking (MMI III) / complex motion difficult to describe / 2-5 s : My chair started to shake violently for some seconds I felt shocked  
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Aftershocks

[More info]

Recorded aftershocks, latest first (24 quakes)

Date and timeMag
Depth
LocationDetails
Mar 23, 2023 12:58
8 days ago
3.6

10 km
Eastern Mediterranean, 96 km SW of Birkirkara, MaltaMore
Mar 8, 2023 05:33
3 weeks ago - felt
4.3

21 km
Eastern Mediterranean, 118 km S of Birkirkara, MaltaMore
Mar 8, 2023 04:22
3 weeks ago
3.1

19 km
Eastern Mediterranean, 116 km S of Birkirkara, MaltaMore
Feb 20, 2023 08:10
6 weeks ago
3.4

10 km
Eastern Mediterranean, 98 km S of Qormi, MaltaMore
Feb 16, 2023 08:46
6 weeks ago
3.7

9.8 km
Eastern Mediterranean, 115 km S of Birkirkara, MaltaMore
Feb 15, 2023 23:42
6 weeks ago
2.4

10 km
Eastern Mediterranean, MaltaMore
Feb 14, 2023 11:55
6 weeks ago
3.7

14 km
Eastern Mediterranean, 119 km S of Birkirkara, MaltaMore
Feb 12, 2023 05:24
7 weeks ago
3.7

14 km
Eastern Mediterranean, 115 km S of Birkirkara, MaltaMore
Feb 12, 2023 02:30
7 weeks ago - felt
4.1

9.7 km
Eastern Mediterranean, 119 km S of Birkirkara, MaltaMore
Feb 4, 2023 06:04
8 weeks ago - felt
4.9

10 km
Eastern Mediterranean, 114 km S of Birkirkara, MaltaMore
Feb 2, 2023 02:55
8 weeks ago - felt
3.4

15 km
Eastern Mediterranean, 119 km S of Birkirkara, MaltaMore
Jan 30, 2023 20:10
8 weeks ago - felt
3.8

18 km
Eastern Mediterranean, 115 km S of Birkirkara, MaltaMore
Jan 30, 2023 19:55
8 weeks ago - felt
5.3

10 km
Eastern Mediterranean, 98 km S of Żurrieq, MaltaMore
Jan 29, 2023 18:06
9 weeks ago - felt
3.5

19 km
Eastern Mediterranean, 115 km S of Birkirkara, MaltaMore
Jan 26, 2023 01:52
9 weeks ago
3.4

26 km
Eastern Mediterranean, 120 km S of Birkirkara, MaltaMore
Jan 26, 2023 01:05
9 weeks ago
3.7

14 km
Eastern Mediterranean, 118 km S of Birkirkara, MaltaMore
Jan 25, 2023 18:53
9 weeks ago
3.4

19 km
Eastern Mediterranean, 117 km S of Birkirkara, MaltaMore
Jan 25, 2023 12:09
9 weeks ago
3.2

25 km
Eastern Mediterranean, 99 km S of Żurrieq, MaltaMore
Jan 25, 2023 07:54
9 weeks ago - felt
4.0

19 km
Eastern Mediterranean, 117 km S of Birkirkara, MaltaMore
Jan 25, 2023 06:44
9 weeks ago
3.8

10 km
Eastern Mediterranean, 107 km S of Birkirkara, MaltaMore
Jan 25, 2023 04:06
9 weeks ago
3.5

20 km
Eastern Mediterranean, 114 km S of Birkirkara, MaltaMore
Jan 25, 2023 03:28
9 weeks ago
3.9

10 km
Eastern Mediterranean, 112 km S of Birkirkara, MaltaMore
Jan 24, 2023 20:25
9 weeks ago - felt
5.3

10 km
Eastern Mediterranean, 112 km S of Birkirkara, MaltaMore
Jan 23, 2023 12:49
10 weeks ago
3.6

15 km
Eastern Mediterranean, 117 km S of Birkirkara, MaltaMore

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