Europe鈥檚 most active corner
The Aegean is the most seismically active region in Europe.
Greece sits where the African Plate dives beneath the Aegean, driving both frequent earthquakes and the volcanoes of the Hellenic Arc - including Santorini. Volcanic islands here can produce long earthquake swarms as magma and fluids stir underground.
What is happening at Hellenic Arc and the Aegean
The Aegean region is being pulled and squeezed as Africa subducts beneath it along the Hellenic Arc. The result is a dense scatter of faults and a very high rate of earthquakes, the highest in Europe.
The arc also carries active volcanoes. Santorini, famous for a Bronze Age eruption, still produces earthquake swarms when its underground system becomes restless, as it did during a notable swarm in 2025.
The hazard record here
THE RECORD HERE
A magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck here in 1903.
Epicentre: Southern Greece.
Live figures from the QuakeMate hazard API - USGS earthquake catalog, NOAA tsunami database and published recurrence estimates. Some fields are blank where there is no record.
Recent earthquakes at Hellenic Arc and the Aegean
- 2.7DODECANESE ISLANDS, GREECE2 weeks ago 路 14/07/2026, 07:34:24 路 12 km deep
- 2.5CRETE, GREECE3 days ago 路 28/07/2026, 21:28:49 路 6 km deep
- 2.5DODECANESE ISLANDS, GREECE1 week ago 路 25/07/2026, 04:54:58 路 14 km deep
- 3.0DODECANESE ISLANDS, GREECE3 weeks ago 路 05/07/2026, 09:05:04 路 15 km deep
- 2.2SOUTHERN GREECE1 week ago 路 18/07/2026, 17:04:40 路 73 km deep
- 4.337 km N of N茅a Alikarnass贸s, Greece2 weeks ago 路 18/07/2026, 09:04:09 路 10 km deep
94 more earthquakes at Hellenic Arc and the Aegean
Open the QuakeMate app to see every quake here, sorted and mapped - plus real-time alerts when a new one strikes.
Notable events
5.3Recent2026M5.3 - 23 km S of Karpathos, Greece4 weeks ago 路 tap for full data1956
A major quake and tsunami struck near Amorgos in the Aegean.
2020
The M7.0 Samos earthquake shook the eastern Aegean and Izmir.
2025
An intense earthquake swarm near Santorini prompted precautionary measures.
What scientists watch
Greek institutes monitor both the fault activity across the Aegean and the volcanic swarms around Santorini and its neighbours.
Staying ahead of it
Island and coastal communities here face both shaking and local tsunami - fast alerts matter across a scatter of small populations.
Get QuakeMate freeGet warned before the next one at Hellenic Arc and the Aegean.
QuakeMate sends a push the instant the ground moves - plus tsunami and volcano alerts. Free to download.
Hellenic Arc and the Aegean: common questions
Where is the most earthquake-prone part of Europe?
The Aegean region of Greece, where the African Plate subducts beneath the Hellenic Arc. It has the highest earthquake rate in Europe and hosts active volcanoes like Santorini.
Are the Santorini earthquakes a sign of eruption?
Swarms reflect restlessness in the underground system and are closely monitored, but a swarm is not the same as an imminent eruption. QuakeMate shows the current activity on the live map above.
Related hazard zones
Earthquake data via the QuakeMate API (USGS, EMSC and regional agencies). Historical notes summarise well-established events; magnitudes and dates follow the published record. Live figures may be revised.