An earthquake of preliminary magnitude 5.7 shook Greece today (April 4), according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
The temblor's epicenter was 48 miles (77 kilometers) south of Athens. It originated 69 miles (111 km) deep and struck at 10:08 p.m. local time (2008 UTC), the USGS reports.
There were no immediate reports of damage, according to the Associated Press.
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Earthquakes of this size are often felt across a wide area and may cause minor to moderate damage, such as cracked plaster. They can cause significant damage in areas with outdated building standards. But the damage caused by any single event depends on the quake's depth, proximity to populated areas, building standards in the region, as well as the type of earthquake. The USGS frequently updates the magnitude of an event after more data is analyzed.
An earthquake's magnitude is a measure of the energy released at the source. It is just one predictor of the shaking that may ensue, which is affected by local and regional geology. Scientists know in a general sense what causes earthquakes but are unable to predict specific quakes.
This article will be updated if significant additional information becomes available. Find more earthquake news here.
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