August 1, 1870 Earthquake: Itea Delphi (Phokis), Greece
A magnitude 7 earthquake struck Itea Delphi (Phokis), Greece on August 1, 1870 at 00:45 UTC. It killed 100 people.
Map
Where it struck, with the other significant earthquakes within 200 km. Circles are sized and colored by magnitude; select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Date
- August 1, 1870
- Time
- 00:45 UTC
- Place
- Itea Delphi (Phokis), Greece
- Magnitude
- 7 (Ms)
- Intensity
- 10 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 38.500° N, 22.500° E
- Country
- Greece
The toll
- Deaths
- 100
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 million)
- Houses destroyed
- Many (101 to 1,000)
Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
1870, August 1, 00h40m. 38.9N, 22.40E, intensity X to XI, magnitude 7.4. An earthquake disaster in Greece in the Gulf of Kdrinthos, fissures, sand craters, new fountains, large rock slides on Parnassds, Kovax and Kirphis, many foreshocks and aftershocks (70000 within 3 years), 100 victims, the towns Amfissa, Galaxidhion, Arhkhova, Kastri (Kastritsi), Itea, Chrysos, Pyrna, Cassotis and others were ruined, fissures in the ground 5- 6 feet wide. (reference #1099)
1870, August 1. Greece, Athens, Corinth, Patras, Harboue Hea, Chrysos, Pyracus, Kalchis. Intensity III which corresponds to an earthquake which destroyed
towns and devastated districts. (reference #1055)
1870, August 1. 38.5 N, 22.5 E, intensity X. Itea Delphi (Phokis). Fissures, sand craters, fountains, rock slides, casualties. Many foreshocks and numerous aftershocks. A very strong aftershock on October 25, 1870. (reference #1198)
1870, August 1 and October 25. Catastrophic earthquake in Phocis. Within seconds, Delphi and Itea Chrysso were razed to the ground, and Arachova Amphissa majueure ruined in part and Galaxidi very splintered. About 100 dead. Large rockslides in the mountains of Parnassus crack in the bedrock, water several meters high jets. From August to December 1870, J. Schmidt, eyewitness, was estimated at 500,000 the number of shocks, shocks and detonations. The earthquake lasted three and a half years, with 300 shocks ruinous. (reference #1093)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- December 856, Korinthos,patrai (Patras), Greece
- July 7, 551, Schisma, Boetia, Greece
- June 426 BC, Euboea, Greece
- September 30, 1636, Cephalonia, Greece
- August 12, 1953, Lixouri-Argostoli (Kephallenia), Greece
- December 29, 1820, Zakinthos (Zante), Greece
- August 27, 1886, Triphylie (Peleponese), Philiatra, Greece
- July 11, 1767, Kefalonia, Greece
- April 20, 1894, Locride, Malesina-Martinon (Lokris), Greece
- February 4, 1867, Cephalonia, Greece
- September 7, 1999, Athens, Greece
- August 23, 1817, Aeghion, Achaia, Greece
- February 25, 1742, Zakynthos, Greece
- September 30, 1870, Greece
- January 19, 1825, Leukas, Ionian Islands, Greece
More
Significant earthquakes of 1870The 1800sRecent earthquakes near hereThis day in weather history
Sources
Significant earthquakes from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. NCEI earthquake 2172.