2022 Cyprus earthquake

{{Short description|Magnitude 6.6 earthquake in the Mediterranean Sea}}

{{Infobox earthquake

| title = 2022 Cyprus earthquake

| map2 = {{Location map | Mediterranean#Cyprus

| AlternativeMap =

| relief = yes

| label =

| lat = 35.227

| long = 31.944

| mark = Bullseye1.png

| marksize = 50

| position =

| width = 260

| float = right

| caption = }}

| depth = {{Cvt|21|km|abbr=on}}

| casualties = 3 dead, 1 injured

| aftershocks =

| foreshocks =

| landslide =

| tsunami = {{Cvt|10|cm|ft}}{{Cite web|title=M 6.6 in Cyprus on 11 Jan 2022 01:07 UTC|url=https://www.gdacs.org/report.aspx?eventtype=EQ&eventid=1305404|work=Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System}}

| pgv =

| pga =

| intensity = {{MMI|6}}

| damages = Minor

| affected = Cyprus, Turkey, Egypt, Lebanon, Israel, Greece

| type = Thrust

| fault = Cyprus arc

| magnitude =6.6 {{M|w|link=yes}}

| image =

| local-time = 03:07 EET

| local-date = 11 January 2022

| duration = 20 seconds

| anss-url = us7000gaqu

| isc-event = 621684247

| timestamp = 2022-01-11 01:07:48

| location = {{coord|35.227|31.944||display=inline,title}}

| alt =

| citations =

}} An earthquake struck west of Paphos, Cyprus on 11 January 2022, with a moment magnitude of 6.6.{{Cite web|title=M 6.6 - 48 km WNW of Pólis, Cyprus|url=https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us7000gaqu/executive|website=earthquake.usgs.gov|date=January 11, 2022|access-date=January 11, 2022|archive-date=January 11, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220111013310/https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us7000gaqu/executive|url-status=live}} The earthquake was the largest tremor to occur in the Mediterranean Sea since the 2003 Boumerdès earthquake,{{Cite web|title=Earthquake map results|url=https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/map/?extent=11.09217,-5.44922&extent=54.72462,27.50977&range=search&baseLayer=terrain&timeZone=utc&map=false&search=%7B%22name%22:%22Search%20Results%22,%22params%22:%7B%22starttime%22:%222000-01-01%2000:00:00%22,%22endtime%22:%222022-11-14%2023:59:59%22,%22maxlatitude%22:38.273,%22minlatitude%22:31.053,%22maxlongitude%22:35.244,%22minlongitude%22:-6.504,%22minmagnitude%22:6.6,%22orderby%22:%22time%22%7D%7D|work=United States Geological Survey}} and the largest to occur in Cyprus since 1996.{{Cite web|title=M 6.8 - 36 km SW of Paphos, Cyprus|url=https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/usp0007r4u/executive|work=United States Geological Survey}}

Tectonic setting

Cyprus is located in a complex zone of a boundary between the Anatolian and African Plates. These two plates are colliding along the Cyprus Arc, a tectonic boundary that runs south of the island. This subduction zone is offset by a small transform fault known as the Paphos Transform Fault. This plate boundary, along with the Dead Sea Transform and East Anatolian Fault Leads to motion of the African and Arabian Plates.{{Cite journal|last=Eleftheria Papadimitriou, Vassilios Karakostas|date=September 2006|title=Earthquake generation in Cyprus revealed by the evolving stress field|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/256273977|journal=Tectonophysics|volume=423|issue=1–4|page=61|doi=10.1016/j.tecto.2006.03.014|bibcode=2006Tectp.423...61P}} This has resulted in moderately destructive, occasional earthquakes, including a magnitude 7.0–7.5 in 1222 which severely impacted the island and generated a large tsunami.

Earthquake

The earthquake was the largest in Cyprus since 1996, and was felt across the island as well as Turkey, Greece, Egypt, Israel and Lebanon.{{Cite web|title=6.6-magnitude Cyprus earthquake shakes eastern Mediterranean|url=https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2022/01/11/6-6-magnitude-cyprus-earthquake-shakes-eastern-mediterranean|work=Gulf Today}}{{Cite web|title=6.6-magnitude quake jolts Cyprus, felt in Egypt and Lebanon|url=https://english.alarabiya.net/amp/News/world/2022/01/11/6-6-magnitude-quake-jolts-Cyprus-felt-in-Egypt-and-Lebanon|work=Al Arabiya}} The earthquake had a thrust focal mechanism and was centred about {{Cvt|50|km|mi}} from the coast.

Impact

=Cyprus=

Several structures received minor damage and objects fell from shelves in the Paphos and Lefke Districts.{{Cite web|title=Only small damages from this morning's strong earthquake|url=https://in-cyprus.philenews.com/only-small-damages-from-this-mornings-strong-earthquake-video/|website=in-cyprus.philenews.com|access-date=2022-01-11|archive-date=2022-01-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220111195353/https://in-cyprus.philenews.com/only-small-damages-from-this-mornings-strong-earthquake-video/|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|title=Powerful earthquake hits off the coast of Cyprus|url=https://bnonews.com/index.php/2022/01/strong-earthquake-hits-off-the-coast-of-cyprus/|website=bnonews.com|date=11 January 2022 |access-date=2022-01-11|archive-date=2022-01-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220111100152/https://bnonews.com/index.php/2022/01/strong-earthquake-hits-off-the-coast-of-cyprus/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|title=Sİvil Savunma: "Şimdiye kadar deprem kaynaklı bina hasarı ihbarı almadık"|url=https://www.yeniduzen.com/sivil-savunma-simdiye-kadar-deprem-kaynakli-bina-hasari-ihbari-almadik-148506h.htm|website= yeniduzen.com|language=tr|access-date=2022-03-15|date=2022-01-11}} In Kallepeia, at least 1,586 chickens were killed in stampede caused by them panicking.{{Cite web|title=1586 chickens killed due to the earthquake|url=https://in-cyprus.philenews.com/1586-chickens-stepped-on-each-other-due-to-the-earthquake/|website=in-cyprus.philenews.com|access-date=2022-01-11|archive-date=2022-01-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220111195357/https://in-cyprus.philenews.com/1586-chickens-stepped-on-each-other-due-to-the-earthquake/|url-status=dead}}

=Egypt=

In Damietta, the earthquake may have led to the collapse of a four-storey apartment several hours later, killing three people and injuring another.{{cite news |title=بعد ساعات من الزلزال.. قتلى وجرحى بانهيار بناء في مصر |url=https://www.alarabiya.net/arab-and-world/egypt/2022/01/11/%D8%A8%D8%B9%D8%AF-%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D9%85%D9%86-%D9%88%D9%82%D9%88%D8%B9-%D8%B2%D9%84%D8%B2%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%82%D8%AA%D9%84%D9%89-%D9%88%D8%AC%D8%B1%D8%AD%D9%8A-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%87%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%A8%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A8%D9%85%D8%B5%D8%B1 |access-date=17 February 2022 |work=Al Arabiya |date=11 January 2022 |language=ar |archive-date=17 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220217123717/https://www.alarabiya.net/arab-and-world/egypt/2022/01/11/%D8%A8%D8%B9%D8%AF-%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D9%85%D9%86-%D9%88%D9%82%D9%88%D8%B9-%D8%B2%D9%84%D8%B2%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%82%D8%AA%D9%84%D9%89-%D9%88%D8%AC%D8%B1%D8%AD%D9%8A-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%87%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%A8%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A8%D9%85%D8%B5%D8%B1 |url-status=live }} Two of the victims were men while another body had yet to be identified.