May 15, 1979 Earthquake: Crete, Greece
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck Crete, Greece on May 15, 1979 at 06:59:21 UTC, 33 km below the surface. It caused a tsunami.
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
- May 15, 1979
- Time
- 06:59:21 UTC
- Place
- Crete, Greece
- Magnitude
- 5.6 (Ms)
- Focal depth
- 33 km (21 mi)
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 34.530° N, 24.437° E
- Country
- Greece
The toll
The record gives no deaths, injuries or damage for this earthquake.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
Felt on Crete. (reference #1053)
The epicenter of the earthquake was in the sea about 80 km far from the south coast of the island. (reference #29)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- July 21, 365, Knossos, Crete, Greece
- February 16, 1810, Iraklion (Candia), Crete, Greece
- October 12, 1856, Crete, Egypt, Greece
- May 29, 1508, Iraklion (Candia),megalokastron, Crete, Greece
- September 27, 2021, Crete, Greece
- June 15, 2013, Crete, Greece
- 364 BC, Rome, Italy
- 55, Crete, Greece
- September 6, 448, Crete, Greece
- April 7, 796, Crete, Greece
- January 1655, Crete, Greece
- 1662, Crete, Greece
- January 1665, Crete, Greece
- November 29, 1973, Crete, Palaeochora, Chania, Greece
- 62, Crete, Greece
More
Significant earthquakes of 1979The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1979Recent 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 7282.