M5.5 earthquake 73 km W of Sirte, Libya
A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck 73 km W of Sirte, Libya on Fri, Jan 20, 1939, 3:22 PM GMT+1 (14:22 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
- 5.5 (mw), moderate
- Local time
- UTC
- 1939-01-20 14:22:30 UTC
- Depth
- 15.0 km (9.3 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 31.200° N, 15.813° 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
- ±0.44
- 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: 1 in the 60 days after this one and 1 in the 30 days before it.
After
Before
Earthquakes todayLibya earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event iscgem901775. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 3:24 AM UTC.