7.4‑Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Off Kamchatka’s East Coast
USGS reports quake centered about 111.7 km east of Petropavlovsk‑Kamchatsky at a depth of 39 km; region has seen multiple large quakes this year
A powerful 7.4‑magnitude earthquake struck early Saturday near the east coast of Russia’s Kamchatka region, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.
The USGS said the quake’s epicenter was 111.7 kilometers (69.3 miles) east of Petropavlovsk‑Kamchatsky and that it occurred at a depth of 39 kilometers (about 24 miles). Details on shaking intensity, damage or casualties were not immediately available.
Kamchatka sits along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a zone of frequent seismic and volcanic activity caused by the interaction of tectonic plates. The peninsula is one of Russia’s most seismically active areas and has experienced multiple large earthquakes in recent months; authorities reported that five powerful quakes struck the region on July 20, 2025, the largest of which measured 7.4 in magnitude.
Magnitude measures the total energy released by an earthquake and increases by roughly a factor of 31 for each whole number on the scale, meaning a 7.4 earthquake releases substantially more energy than lower‑magnitude events. Earthquakes at intermediate depths such as 39 kilometers can produce strong shaking over a broad area but typically generate less intense surface rupture than very shallow events.
Russian emergency services and regional authorities routinely monitor seismic events in Kamchatka because large offshore quakes in the subduction zone can sometimes generate tsunami waves. National and international monitoring agencies, including the USGS, provide near‑real‑time data that local authorities use to assess coastal risk and issue warnings if necessary.
Historic records show that the Kamchatka subduction zone has produced some of the world’s largest recorded earthquakes and associated tsunamis. Scientists continue to study seismic patterns in the region to improve understanding of rupture processes and to refine hazard forecasts.
Further updates are expected as regional agencies and international seismic services analyze aftershocks and report on any impacts to communities along Kamchatka’s coast. The USGS event page for the quake will be updated with revised magnitudes, depth estimates and shaking maps as more data are processed.