A light earthquake magnitude 4.3 registered in the Sea of Crete some 36 km North-West of Heraklion, Crete this morning. The 56 plus kilometer deep quake hit at 00:35 UTC according to NOA (National Observatory of Athens) and the USGS.
The quake was felt onshore at the closest Crete town of Bali, a resort community about 20 kilometers south of the epicenter, on the island’s northern shore. Light shaking of windows and other tremor effects were reported in Rethymno, farther west, and in Gazi to the east as well. No injuries or damage were reported.
This part of the Mediterranean region is seismically active largely because of the northward convergence (4-10 mm/yr) of the African plate against the Eurasian plate along a complex plate boundary that runs just south of Crete. Historically, large earthquakes throughout the Mediterranean region have produced significant and damaging tsunamis.