Why is Greece having so many earthquakes right now and should we be worried?

Summer is on the horizon and we're already counting down the minutes until we can put our OOO on, but holidaymakers planning to head to Greece could see their trips in jeopardy - because there's so many earthquakes happening.

From late January to mid-April, Santorini was in a state of emergency when hundreds of earthquakes kept hitting the island with no explanation, causing fears of volcanic activity.

Most recently, another Greek island, Crete, was hit by a 6.1-magnitude earthquake on 22 May, baffling scientists as to why the tremors keep occurring in that part of the world - and if people should be worried.

While no injuries or major damage have been reported, the quake, which hit at 6:19am local time, saw locals and tourists ordered to move away from the coast after it prompted fears there could be a tsunami in the aftermath.

Social media posts documented just how violent the shaking was in the area.

While experts have been left baffled by the sudden influx of quakes are the Mediterranean, there could be a few logical reasons at play.

Firstly, Greece is no stranger to earthquakes, and gets approximately 25,000 every year - some of which can't even be felt on land.

Its location means it's on the edge of the African and Eurasian tectonic plates, also known as the Hellenic subduction zone. The African plate is consistently moving north beneath the Eurasian plate, triggering tremors.

What's more, the climate crisis is only intensifying this, with stronger storms and minor pressure changes initiating seismic slips.

The good news is that for now, travellers are not being warned against heading to that part of the world, so you can still enjoy your holiday - but unfortunately, these phenomenons will undoubtably continue to become more common.

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