M5.7 earthquake 81 km W of Sirte, Libya
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck 81 km W of Sirte, Libya on Fri, Jan 20, 1939, 2:24 AM GMT+1 (01:24 UTC), 15 km (9 mi) below the surface.
A larger quake followed: M5.8 46 km WSW of Sirte, Libya. This one was a foreshock.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.7 (mw), moderate
- Local time
- UTC
- 1939-01-20 01:24:16 UTC
- Depth
- 15.0 km (9.3 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 31.325° N, 15.747° E
- Region
- Libya
- Tsunami flag
- No
- Status
- Reviewed by a seismologist
Did you feel it?
No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.
How well it is located
Reviewed by a seismologist.
- Magnitude uncertainty
- ±0.48
- Depth from
- From location
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 2.5 and up: 2 in the 60 days after this one and 0 in the 30 days before it.
After
Earthquakes todayLibya earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event iscgem901774. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 1:46 AM UTC.