A light magnitude 2.0 earthquake hit 32 km (20 mi) away from Harmanli, Haskovo, 
Bulgaria, shortly after midnight, on Thursday, Aug 1, 2024 at 12.13 am local time (Europe/Sofia GMT +3). The quake had a very shallow depth of 4.8 km (3 mi) and was reported felt by some people near the epicenter.
Earthquake details
| Date & time | Jul 31, 2024 21:13:00 UTC – 4 days ago |
| Local time at epicenter | Thursday, Aug 1, 2024, at 12:13 am (Europe/Sofia GMT +3) |
| Status | Preliminary (automatic detection) |
| Magnitude | 2.0 |
| Depth | 4.8 km |
| Epicenter latitude / longitude | 42.09°N / 26.22°E Topolovgrad, Haskovo, BulgariaAlso near:  Turkey 33 km (21 mi) away |  Greece 38 km (24 mi) away |
| Seismic antipode | 42.09°S / 153.78°W |
| Shaking intensity | II Very weak shaking |
| Felt | 1 report |
| Primary data source | EMSC (European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre) |
| Weather at epicenter at time of quake | Clear Sky  16.6°C (62 F), humidity: 54%, wind: 2 m/s (4 kts) from SE |
| Estimated seismic energy released | 6.3 x 107 joules (17.5 kilowatt hours) | about seismic energy |
The closest larger town where the quake might have been felt is Topolovgrad, a town with 6,500 inhabitants in Bulgaria, in 9.4 km (5.8 mi) distance east of the epicenter. People likely experienced very weak shaking there. In the capital of
Bulgaria, Sofia, 247 km (154 mi) away from the epicenter, the earthquake could not be felt.The following table shows some of the places that might have been affected (or not) by the shaking.
tance | Place | Max. shaking intensity(*) | Region | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 km (6 mi)E of epicenter | Topolovgrad(pop: 6,460) | II: Very weak | Haskovo | Bulgaria |
| 30 km (19 mi)E of epicenter | Elhovo(pop: 11,100) | I: Not felt | Yambol | Bulgaria |
| 31 km (19 mi)S of epicenter | Lyubimets(pop: 8,070) | I: Not felt | Haskovo | Bulgaria |
| 31 km (19 mi)W of epicenter | Gŭlŭbovo(pop: 8,400) | I: Not felt | Stara Zagora | Bulgaria |
| 32 km (20 mi)SW of epicenter | Harmanli(pop: 18,900) | I: Not felt | Haskovo | Bulgaria |
| 33 km (20 mi)W of epicenter | Simeonovgrad(pop: 7,390) | I: Not felt | Haskovo | Bulgaria |
| 33 km (21 mi)NW of epicenter | Radnevo(pop: 14,700) | I: Not felt | Stara Zagora | Bulgaria |
| 36 km (22 mi)S of epicenter | Slivengrad(pop: 19,300) | I: Not felt | Svilengrad, Haskovo | Bulgaria |
| 46 km (28 mi)N of epicenter | Kermen(pop: 2,220) | : Not felt | Sliven, Sliven | Bulgaria |
| 47 km (29 mi)N of epicenter | Nova Zagora(pop: 24,300) | : Not felt | Sliven | Bulgaria |
| 51 km (32 mi)SE of epicenter | Lâlapaşa(pop: 2,770) | : Not felt | Edirne | Turkey |
| 51 km (32 mi)W of epicenter | Dimitrovgrad(pop: 43,300) | : Not felt | Haskovo | Bulgaria |
| 58 km (36 mi)W of epicenter | Haskovo(pop: 79,700) | : Not felt | Haskovo | Bulgaria |
| 59 km (36 mi)SW of epicenter | Madzharovo(pop: 1,320) | : Not felt | Haskovo | Bulgaria |
| 61 km (38 mi)NW of epicenter | Stara Zagora(pop: 143,400) | : Not felt | Stara Zagora | Bulgaria |
| 63 km (39 mi)S of epicenter | Ivaylovgrad(pop: 3,970) | : Not felt | Haskovo | Bulgaria |
| 68 km (42 mi)NE of epicenter | Straldzha(pop: 5,820) | : Not felt | Yambol | Bulgaria |
| 70 km (43 mi)NW of epicenter | Nikolaevo(pop: 3,160) | : Not felt | Stara Zagora | Bulgaria |
| 70 km (44 mi)S of epicenter | Orestiada(pop: 16,200) | : Not felt | Evros, East Macedonia and Thrace | Greece |
| 73 km (45 mi)N of epicenter | Tvarditsa(pop: 6,520) | : Not felt | Sliven | Bulgaria |
| 74 km (46 mi)W of epicenter | Chirpan(pop: 17,200) | : Not felt | Stara Zagora | Bulgaria |
| 74 km (46 mi)W of epicenter | Mineralni Bani(pop: 1,370) | : Not felt | Haskovo | Bulgaria |
| 78 km (49 mi)SE of epicenter | Havsa(pop: 7,510) | : Not felt | Edirne | Turkey |
| 79 km (49 mi)NW of epicenter | Maglizh(pop: 3,640) | : Not felt | Stara Zagora | Bulgaria |
| 83 km (51 mi)W of epicenter | Parvomay(pop: 17,000) | : Not felt | Plovdiv | Bulgaria |
| 83 km (52 mi)SW of epicenter | Krumovgrad(pop: 5,270) | : Not felt | Kardzhali | Bulgaria |
| 84 km (52 mi)E of epicenter | Sredets(pop: 9,570) | : Not felt | Burgas | Bulgaria |
| 86 km (53 mi)S of epicenter | Didymoteicho(pop: 8,340) | : Not felt | Evros, East Macedonia and Thrace | Greece |
| 86 km (53 mi)SW of epicenter | Kardzhali(pop: 51,000) | : Not felt | Kardzhali | Bulgaria |
| 88 km (55 mi)NE of epicenter | Karnobat(pop: 19,700) | : Not felt | Burgas | Bulgaria |
| 89 km (55 mi)NW of epicenter | Kazanlak(pop: 55,200) | : Not felt | Stara Zagora | Bulgaria |
| 90 km (56 mi)N of epicenter | Kazan(pop: 6,420) | : Not felt | Kotel, Sliven | Bulgaria |
| 92 km (57 mi)SE of epicenter | Kırklareli(pop: 58,200) | : Not felt | Kirklareli | Turkey |
| 98 km (61 mi)N of epicenter | Elena(pop: 6,040) | : Not felt | BG.62.HKV34, Veliko Tarnovo | Bulgaria |
| 100 km (62 mi)SE of epicenter | Uzunköprü(pop: 36,500) | : Not felt | Edirne | Turkey |
| 103 km (64 mi)SE of epicenter | Babaeski(pop: 26,700) | : Not felt | Kirklareli | Turkey |
| 108 km (67 mi)NE of epicenter | Aytos(pop: 21,000) | : Not felt | Burgas | Bulgaria |
| 114 km (71 mi)NW of epicenter | Gabrovo(pop: 66,200) | : Not felt | Gabrovo | Bulgaria |
| 121 km (75 mi)SE of epicenter | Lüleburgaz(pop: 90,900) | : Not felt | Kirklareli | Turkey |
| 247 km (154 mi)W of epicenter | Sofia(pop: 1,152,600) | : Not felt | Sofia-Grad | Bulgaria |
User-reports for this quake (1)
We received 1 report for this quake from
Bulgaria.
It came from near Topolovgrad, a town with 6,500 inhabitants in Haskovo in 9.4 km (5.8 mi) distance east of the epicenter,
User reports estimate the perceived ground shaking intensity according to the MMI (Modified Mercalli Intensity) scale.
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Topolovgrad / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : I heard it coming. I though there had been an explosion
List of cities/places with most reports
| Place | Distance from epicenter | Average reported Shaking Intensity | Nr. of reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| Topolovgrad, Haskovo, Bulgaria(Pop.: 6,464) | 9.4 km (5.8 mi)E of epicenter | II: Very weak shaking | 1 |
What is Intensity and the Mercalli Intensity Scale?
The amount of shaking that occurs on the surface due to an earthquake is called the intensity. It is commonly measured on the so-called Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale (MMI) ranging from 1 (not felt) to 10 (extreme shaking), and given in Roman numerals as I,II,…IX, X, and often displayed with color codes ranging from light blue to dark red.
Earthquake intensity depends mainly on the magnitude and depth of the quake as well as the distance from the epicenter: The further away, the less shaking intensity occurs.
Read more about the MMI scale!
Number of reports by intensity
| Shaking intensity | Number of reports | Min-Max distance from epicenter (*) | Average distance (*) |
|---|---|---|---|
| II: Very weak shaking | 1 | 9.1–9.1 km (5.7–5.7 mi) | 9.1 km (5.7 mi) |
(*) Reports are filtered to exclude those that are likely highly inaccurate or esaggerated.
Only reports with latitude/longitude coordinate positions given (1 in total) could be used for geographic statistics.
I didn’t feel it
I felt this quake
If you were near the epicenter and felt it, please share your experience and submit a short “I felt it” report! Other users would love to hear about it!
If you did NOT feel the quake although you were in the area, please report it as well! Your contribution is valuable to earthquake science and seismic hazard analysis.
Compare Quake Data
Data for the same earthquake as reported by different agencies
The more agencies report about the same quake and post similar data, the more confidence you can have in the data. It takes normally up to a few hours until earthquake parameters are calculated with near-optimum precision.
| Mag | Depth | Time GMT2024-07-31 | Epicenter | Agency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0 | 4.8 km3 mi | 21:13:00 | Bulgaria | EMSC (European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre) |
| 2.1 | 5.9 km3.7 mi | 21:13:00 | BULGARISTAN2.6 km (1.6 mi) epicenter difference with EMSC | KOERI-RETMC (Kandilli Oservatory and Earthquake Research Institute in Istanbul) |
| 1.9 | 9 km5.6 mi | 21:13:01 | Topolovgrad, Hasköy (Bulgaristan) – [28.19 km] Lalapaşa (Edirne)12 km (7.7 mi) epicenter difference with EMSC | AFAD (Disaster and Emergency Management Authority) |
Seismic station: GEOFON Station Tirgusor, Romania (TIRR/GE network) | Distance from quake: 318 km / 197 mi | Show on map | Station Info
Seismogram (vertical component) around time of quake. Thin dotted red line indicates time of quake. Seismic waves arrive some time later, depending on distance. Bandpass filter applied: 0.5-10.0 Hz. Source: IRIS Buffer of Uniform Data (BUD) webtool
Earthquake statistics
Average number of earthquakes
Based on data from the past 54 years and our earthquake archive back to 1900, there are about 27.2 quakes on average per year in the area near the epicenter of this quake (within 100 km/61 mi):
- Mag. 7 or higher: 0.02 quakes per year (or 1 quake every 62.5 years)
- Mag. 6 or higher: 0.02 quakes per year (or 1 quake every 41.7 years)
- Mag. 5 or higher: 0.02 quakes per year (or 1 quake every 41.7 years)
- Mag. 4 or higher: 0.31 quakes per year (or 1 quake every 3.2 years)
- Mag. 3 or higher: 4.8 quakes per year
- Mag. 2 or higher: 15.9 quakes per year
- Mag. 1 or higher: 26.8 quakes per year
The area where this quake occurred has a high level of seismic activity. It has had at least 2 quakes above magnitude 7 since 1900, which suggests that larger earthquakes of this size occur infrequently, probably on average approximately every 60 to 65 years.
Number of quakes per year
| Year | — |
|---|---|
| Earthquakes M2+ | — |
| Earthquakes M3+ | — |
| Earthquakes M4+ | — |
The earthquake occurred 23 weeks after a magnitude 2.8 earthquake had hit on Wednesday, Feb 21, 2024, at 12:47 pm local time (Europe/Sofia GMT +2) in 23 km (14 mi) distance to the east: Mag. 2.8 earthquake Bulgaria – Feb 21, 2024 – 24 weeks ago
The largest quake near the epicenter of this quake during the 10 years before was an event of magnitude 4.6. It had occurred 9 years earlier, on Thursday, Feb 5, 2015, at 09:16 am local time (Europe/Sofia GMT +3) in Sliven,
Bulgaria: Mag. 4.6 earthquake Bulgaria – Feb 5, 2015 – 10 years ago
The strongest-ever (since 1900) recorded quake in this area measured magnitude 7.8. It had occurred 120 years ago earlier, on Monday, Apr 4, 1904, at 01:27 pm local time (Europe/Sofia GMT +3) in Blagoevgrad,
Bulgaria:Mag. 7.8 earthquake 25 km south of Blagoevgrad – Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria – Apr 4, 1904 – 120 years ago
Below is a list and map of (larger or recent) quakes that had occurred near the area of the epicenter before this earthquake (within up to 100 km/61 mi distance, up to 300 km/183 mi for very large quakes above mag. 7). Filter the list to limit the number to show, by magnitude or time before.
Date and Time | Mag Depth | Distance | Location | Details | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 11, 05:10 am (Sofia)3 weeks ago3 weeks earlier | 2.0 6.9 km | 88 km (55 mi) to the W | Bulgaria: 59 Km NE from Dimari | Info | |
| Jul 3, 01:26 am (Sofia)5 weeks ago4 weeks earlier | 2.2 10.9 km | 68 km (43 mi) to the SW | 35 Km NNE from Ano Kardamos | Info | |
| Jun 17, 05:19 pm (Sofia)7 weeks ago6 weeks earlier | 2.8 28 km | 73 km (46 mi) to the W | Bulgaria | Info | |
| Jun 16, 09:54 pm (Sofia)7 weeks ago6 weeks earlier | 2.0 12 km | 46 km (29 mi) to the N | Bulgaria: Sliven (Bulgaristan) – [68.01 km] Lalapaşa (Edirne) | Info | |
| Jun 11, 04:55 pm (Sofia)8 weeks ago7 weeks earlier | 2.5 3.7 km | 31 km (19 mi) to the NW | 16 km south of Nova Zagora, Sliven, Bulgaria | Info | |
| May 27, 12:38 am (Sofia)10 weeks ago9 weeks earlier | 2.3 19 km | 69 km (43 mi) to the W | Bulgaria | Info | |
| Feb 21, 12:47 pm (Sofia)24 weeks ago23 weeks earlier | 2.8 4.4 km | 23 km (14 mi) to the E | Bulgaria 6 reports | Info | |
| Jul 10, 2023 11:49 pm (Athens)1 year 4 weeks ago | 3.9 10 km | 73 km (45 mi) to the S | Greece Bulgaria Border Region | Info | |
| Feb 6, 2023 03:41 pm (Sofia)1 year 26 weeks ago | 4.0 10 km | 62 km (39 mi) to the NW | 11 km northeast of Stara Zagora, Stara Zagora, Bulgaria | Info | |
| Aug 21, 2020 01:00 pm (Sofia)4 years ago | 3.9 10 km | 49 km (31 mi) to the W | 27 km south of Stara Zagora, Bulgaria 39 reports | Info | |
| Apr 18, 2016 09:46 am (Sofia)8 years ago | 4.1 10 km | 48 km (30 mi) to the N | 6 km northeast of Nova Zagora, Sliven, Bulgaria 18 reports | Info | |
| Feb 5, 2015 09:16 am (Sofia)10 years ago | 4.6 10 km | 67 km (42 mi) to the N | Bulgaria 10 reports | Info | |
| Jul 9, 2013 09:11 pm (Sofia)11 years ago | 3.9 2 km | 9 km (5.6 mi) to the N | BULGARIA 1 report | Info | |
| Mar 30, 2012 11:48 pm (Sofia)12 years ago | 4.1 3 km | 56 km (35 mi) to the N | Bulgaria | Info | |
| Aug 5, 2011 05:16 am (Sofia)13 years ago | 3.8 2 km | 15 km (9.4 mi) to the N | Bulgaria | Info | |
| Jun 24, 2011 08:44 pm (Sofia)13 years ago | 4.1 0 km | 8.4 km (5.2 mi) to the N | Bulgaria | Info | |
| Aug 21, 2010 05:35 am (Sofia)14 years ago | 4.1 0 km | 29 km (18 mi) to the N | Bulgaria | Info | |
| Feb 20, 2006 07:20 pm (Sofia)18 years ago | 4.6 10 km | 70 km (44 mi) to the SW | Bulgaria | Info | |
| Jan 21, 2006 02:09 am (Sofia)19 years ago | 4.0 10 km | 66 km (41 mi) to the NE | Bulgaria | Info | |
| Oct 25, 2001 03:51 am (Sofia)23 years ago | 4.2 8 km | 38 km (24 mi) to the NE | Bulgaria | Info | |
| Oct 3, 2001 12:42 pm (Sofia)23 years ago | 4.2 8 km | 57 km (36 mi) to the NE | Bulgaria | Info | |
| Aug 13, 2001 05:26 pm (Sofia)23 years ago | 4.6 10 km | 62 km (38 mi) to the N | 17 km southeast of Sliven, Sliven, Bulgaria | Info | |
| Aug 9, 2001 03:58 am (Sofia)23 years ago | 4.2 42 km | 58 km (36 mi) to the NE | Bulgaria | Info | |
| Nov 23, 1999 03:47 am (Sofia)25 years ago | 4.5 3.8 km | 87 km (54 mi) to the W | Bulgaria | Info | |
| Dec 11, 1998 05:09 pm (Sofia)26 years ago | 4.7 10 km | 80 km (50 mi) to the W | Bulgaria | Info | |
| Aug 14, 1996 03:36 pm (Sofia)28 years ago | 4.1 10 km | 71 km (44 mi) to the W | Bulgaria | Info | |
| Sep 13, 1979 03:06 pm (Sofia)45 years ago | 4.3 45 km | 78 km (49 mi) to the W | Bulgaria | Info | |
| Jun 18, 1953 08:44 am (Istanbul)71 years ago | 5.5 35 km | 50 km (31 mi) to the SE | 12 km northeast of Edirne, Edirne, Turkey | Info | |
| Mar 18, 1953 10:06 pm (Istanbul)71 years ago | 7.3 10 km | 244 km (152 mi) to the SE | western Turkey | Info | |
| Apr 25, 1928 12:25 pm (Sofia)96 years ago | 5.8 15 km | 35 km (22 mi) to the W | 4 km NW of Simeonovgrad, Bulgaria | Info | |
| Apr 20, 1928 01:40 am (Sofia)96 years ago | 5.2 15 km | 49 km (30 mi) to the W | 8 km NNE of Dimitrovgrad, Bulgaria | Info | |
| Apr 19, 1928 04:09 am (Sofia)96 years ago | 5.1 15 km | 79 km (49 mi) to the W | 14 km N of Chirpan, Bulgaria | Info | |
| Apr 19, 1928 02:14 am (Sofia)96 years ago | 5.8 15 km | 85 km (53 mi) to the NW | 19 km SSE of Pavel Banya, Bulgaria | Info | |
| Apr 18, 1928 07:22 pm (Universal Time)96 years ago | 7.1 10 km | 101 km (63 mi) to the W | 3.2 km west of Brezovo, Plovdiv, Bulgaria | Info | |
| Apr 14, 1928 01:23 pm (Sofia)96 years ago | 5.6 15 km | 59 km (37 mi) to the NW | 9 km SSW of Stara Zagora, Bulgaria | Info | |
| Apr 14, 1928 09:00 am (Universal Time)96 years ago | 7.1 10 km | 56 km (35 mi) to the NW | | Info | |
| Sep 4, 1926 12:59 am (Sofia)98 years ago | 5.4 15 km | 40 km (25 mi) to the S | 9 km S of Lyubimets, Bulgaria | Info | |
| Aug 9, 1912 01:29 am (Universal Time)112 years ago | 7.2 15 km | 169 km (105 mi) to the SE | western Turkey | Info | |
| Feb 15, 1909 09:33 am (Universal Time)116 years ago | 6.1 15 km | 41 km (25 mi) to the E | 11 km ENE of Elhovo, Bulgaria | Info | |
| Nov 8, 1905 10:06 pm (Universal Time)119 years ago | 7.2 15 km | 259 km (161 mi) to the SW | Mount Athos, 124 km northeast of Patitiri, Magnesia, Thessaly, Greece | Info | |
| Nov 8, 1905 10:06 pm (Universal Time)119 years ago | 7.2 15 km | 259 km (161 mi) to the SW | Aegean Sea | Info | |
| Apr 4, 1904 01:27 pm (Sofia)120 years ago | 7.8 0 km | 252 km (157 mi) to the W | Struma | Info | |
| Apr 4, 1904 01:03 pm (Sofia)120 years ago | 7.5 0 km | 252 km (157 mi) to the W | Struma | Info | |
| Mar 31, 1901 10:12 am (Sofia)123 years ago | 7.2 0 km | 236 km (147 mi) to the NE | Balchik | Info |
Map of earlier quakes in the area of this quake
50 km
50 mi
Leaflet| © Esri— Sources: GEBCO, NOAA, CHS, OSU, UNH, CSUMB, National Geographic, DeLorme, NAVTEQ, and Esri
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