Magnitude 8.8 earthquake shook Russia: no fatalities - tsunami waves within Pacific Ring

On Wednesday, July 30, a strong 8.8 magnitude earthquake rattled Russia. According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake occurred around 23:24:50 UTC, with its epicenter located 119 km east-southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia. The depth of the quake was 20.7 km. Fortunately, the epicenter was in a sparsely populated area; therefore, no fatalities or severe injuries were reported.

Due to the intensity of the earthquake, tsunami warnings were issued for countries around the Pacific Ring of Fire, including Japan, Hawaii, and parts of South America. According to authorities, tsunami waves between 3 and 5 meters flooded Severo-Kurilsk, displacing fishing boats and inundating port areas. Furthermore, waves reached the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia, California, and British Columbia; however, they were lower than initially expected. Waves that reached Hawaii were up to 1.7 meters, and those that reached Japan were up to 1.3 meters.

Tsunami waves flooded an area after a powerful magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck off Russia’s far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula, in Severo-Kurilsk, Sakhalin Region, Russia, in this still image taken from video. Kamchatka branch of the Geophysical Survey of the Russian Academy of Sciences 

It should be noted that the earthquake occurred within the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area prone to seismic activity due to the subduction of the Pacific Plate beneath the North American Plate. Following the strong earthquake and ensuing geological turmoil, Kamchatka’s Klyuchevskoy volcano erupted, with lava flows and ash plumes observed. Scientists have warned of the possibility of further seismic activity due to aftershocks.