December 19, 1981 Earthquake: Lesbos, Skiros, Aegean Sea, Greece

Date

December 19, 1981

Time

14:10:50 UTC

Place

Lesbos, Skiros, Aegean Sea, Greece

Magnitude

7.5 (Ms)

Focal depth

10 km (6 mi)

Tsunami

None recorded

Epicenter

39.243° N, 25.227° E

Country

Greece

Damage

Limited (under about $1 million)

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.

• July 10, 1668, TurkeyM6.6 · 17,500 deaths · 187 km
• July 10, 1688, Izmir, TurkeyM7 · 16,000 deaths · 173 km
• October 15, 1883, Ayvalik, Izmir, Cesme, TurkeyM7.3 · 15,000 deaths · 3,600 houses destroyed · 135 km
• April 3, 1881, Cesme, Khios, Turkey, GreeceM7.3 · 7,866 deaths · 142 km
• 688, Izmir, Turkey2,000 deaths · 195 km
• March 7, 1867, Izmir, Mitilini, Turkey, GreeceM7 · 563 deaths · 5,915 houses destroyed · 101 km
• August 6, 1384, Lesbos, Greece500 deaths · 93 km
• April 20, 1894, Locride, Malesina-Martinon (Lokris), GreeceM6.7 · 255 deaths · 189 km
• September 26, 1932, Hierissos-Strantonion (Chalkidiki), GreeceM6.9 · 161 deaths · 4,106 houses destroyed · 180 km
• September 7, 1999, Athens, GreeceM6 · 143 deaths · $4.2 billion · 53,000 houses destroyed · 188 km
• September 21, 1939, TurkeyM6.5 · 41 deaths · 137 km
• March 9, 1965, Alonisos, Skopelos, GreeceM6.3 · 38 deaths · $8 million · 107 km
• October 6, 1944, Ayvalik, TurkeyM6.7 · 30 deaths · 5,500 houses destroyed · 121 km
• July 29, 1880, TurkeyM6.7 · 30 deaths · 177 km
• April 27, 1894, St Konstantinos-Arkitsa (Lokris), GreeceM6.9 · 30 deaths · 3,800 houses destroyed · 194 km

Significant earthquakes of 1981The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1981Recent earthquakes near hereThis day in weather history

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 4935.