M 6.3 Earthquake in Lesbos, Greece
On 12 June 2017, residents of the Greek island of Lesbos woke up to a rumbling and shaking of their buildings and furniture after an earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter Scale hit the Island. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the epicenter of the quake was 4 kilometers south of Plomarin. The information USGS posted on their website indicated that the earthquake originated at a depth of 10.3 km under the Aegean Sea. The earthquake, which was detected at 5.28 in the morning, was also felt in neighboring countries including Turkey. However, because its strength had waned off, many residents in the surrounding areas including mainland Greece probably did not notice it. No casualties were reported as a result of the earthquake; residents reported minor property damage. No landslides, which are common in high magnitude earthquake incidences, were reported. There was no tsunami warnings issued as a result of the earthquake reported in the region.
The fact that such a relatively powerful earthquake did not hit the news headlines got me interested in finding out more information about earthquakes. I discovered that earthquakes occur almost on a daily basis across many regions around the world. This translates to thousands of earthquakes annually. They are ubiquitous yet rarely reported. They primarily common in areas that are geologically active. These areas usually record some of the strongest earthquakes with numerous casualties. In addition, they leave in their wake damages worth millions of dollars. This is why they often attract the attention of many news outlets. My research noted that one particular area in Italy is prone to earthquakes of higher magnitudes.
Source: https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us20009ly0#executive