Reviewed by USGSAlbania7y ago
M5.6 earthquake 3 km WSW of Shijak, Albania
Saturday, September 21, 2019, 14:04:25 UTC · 41.337°N, 19.530°E
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck 3 km WSW of Shijak, Albania on Saturday, September 21, 2019, 14:04:25 UTC, at a depth of 20.0 km (shallow). USGS received 343 “Did You Feel It?” reports, with a maximum reported intensity of VIII (severe). The USGS PAGER alert is yellow: some casualties and damage are possible. It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M6.3 on August 14, 2003.
- Magnitude
- 5.6
- Moderate · mww
- Depth
- 20 km
- Shallow
- Felt reports
- 343
- Max intensity VIII
- Est. shaking
- VII
- Very strong (ShakeMap)
- PAGER alert
- Yellow
- Impact estimate
- Tsunami
- No flag
- USGS feed
Outlined circle: this earthquakeDashed circle: 75 km aftershock search areaColoured lines: estimated shaking intensity (USGS ShakeMap)
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
4 kilotons of TNT
That is about 1/4 of the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 8 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
273 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the Eurasian and African plates. Earthquakes this far from a boundary happen on faults inside a plate, often less frequently but sometimes strongly.
Depth: shallow
20 km
Shallow earthquakes (under 70 km) produce the strongest surface shaking for their size, so they are the ones most likely to cause damage near the epicenter.
Did You Feel It?
Where it was felt
Reports sent by people to USGS, grouped by place (most reports first). Intensity uses the Modified Mercalli scale (I–X): what people felt, not the magnitude.
| Place | Intensity | Reports | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tirana, Tirana, Albania | VII · Very strong | 150 | 31 km |
| Durrës, Durrës, Albania | VII · Very strong | 35 | 21 km |
| Berat, Berat, Albania | IV · Light | 10 | 81 km |
| Skopje, Skopje, Macedonia | III · Weak | 10 | 178 km |
| Kavajë, Kavajë, Albania | VII · Very strong | 9 | 25 km |
| Podgorica, Montenegro, Serbia and Montenegro | III · Weak | 9 | 129 km |
| Fier, Fier, Albania | IV · Light | 7 | 70 km |
| Elbasan, Elbasan, Albania | VI · Strong | 6 | 56 km |
| Vlorë, Vlorë, Albania | IV · Light | 6 | 97 km |
| Shijak, Durrës, Albania | VI · Strong | 4 | 20 km |
| Korçë, Korçë, Albania | IV · Light | 4 | 133 km |
| Ohrid, Ohrid, Macedonia | III · Weak | 4 | 112 km |
USGS PAGER estimate
Who was exposed to shaking
Modelled from the ShakeMap and population data. Alert level yellow: some casualties and damage are possible.
- VII · Very strong shaking
- 201,000 people
- VI · Strong shaking
- 816,000 people
- V · Moderate shaking
- 415,000 people
- IV · Light shaking
- 1.2 million people
- III · Weak shaking
- 360,000 people
- II · Weak shaking
- 5,800 people
Estimated shaking in nearby towns
- XhafzotajPopulation 0VII · Very strong
- SukthPopulation 0VII · Very strong
- Katundi i RiPopulation 0VII · Very strong
- GjepalajPopulation 0VII · Very strong
- ShijakPopulation 14,000VII · Very strong
- VaqarrPopulation 0VII · Very strong
- TiranacapitalPopulation 375,000VI · Strong
- DurrescapitalPopulation 122,000VI · Strong
After the main event
Aftershocks within 75 km
USGS lists 6 M2.5+ earthquakes within 75 km in the following 30 days; the largest was M5.1 on September 21, 2019. Most nearby activity right after a large earthquake is aftershocks, which usually become less frequent over days and weeks.
- 4.45 km ESE of Durrës, Albania7y ago · 5 km S of this epicenter
- 4.34 km WNW of Fushë-Krujë, Albania7y ago · 21 km NE of this epicenter
- 4.45 km SW of Shijak, Albania7y ago · 3 km S of this epicenter
- 4.83 km SW of Shijak, Albania7y ago · 2 km S of this epicenter
- 4.44 km WSW of Shijak, Albania7y ago · 2 km SW of this epicenter
- 5.112 km NW of Vorë, Albania7y ago · 15 km N of this epicenter
Regional history
Past M5+ earthquakes within 300 km
USGS lists 267 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 6.96 km E of Stari Bar, MontenegroApril 15, 1979 · 88 km N of this epicenter
- 6.76 km NW of Lukovo, North MacedoniaNovember 30, 1967 · 85 km E of this epicenter
- 6.73 km SW of Kuklis, North MacedoniaMarch 8, 1931 · 260 km E of this epicenter
- 6.617 km NNW of Bilisht, AlbaniaFebruary 18, 1911 · 131 km SE of this epicenter
- 6.610 km W of Aianí, GreeceMay 13, 1995 · 225 km SE of this epicenter
- 6.59 km E of Stari Bar, MontenegroJune 1, 1905 · 87 km N of this epicenter
- 6.419 km WNW of Préveza, GreeceJune 30, 1948 · 274 km S of this epicenter
- 6.38 km S of Kanaláki, GreeceAugust 14, 2003 · 259 km S of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 110 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 4,726 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1851M6.6
Vlore (Valona),Berat; Turkey
12 Oct 1851 · 94 km away · intensity XI
2,000 deathsExtreme damage ($25M+)tsunami
- 1963M6.0
Macedonia: Skopje
26 Jul 1963 · 170 km away · intensity X
1,070 deaths$1.0 billion damage
- 1851
Berat
17 Oct 1851 · 94 km away · intensity X
400 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)
- 1920M6.2
Tepelene, Dragoti, Peshtani, Maricaj
26 Nov 1920 · 133 km away · intensity XI
200 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)
- 1979M6.9
Montenegro
15 Apr 1979 · 88 km away · intensity IX
131 deaths$2.7 billion damagetsunami
- 1905M6.6
Shkoder
1 Jun 1905 · 85 km away · intensity X
120 deaths$24 million damage
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.