It was 7.4 on the Richter scale, and it happened off the coast of Russia‘s Kamchatka Peninsula on September 13, 2025. The USGS found the location of the earthquake 39.5 kilometers below the surface, 111 kilometers east of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, which is the regional capital. People in the area were scared during the quake, but there have been no reports of deaths or major damage yet.
A tsunami warning was sent out and then taken down
After the earthquake, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center warned that dangerous tsunami waves could hit the Russian coasts within 300 km of the epicenter. But after keeping an eye on things, they later confirmed that the danger of a tsunami had passed and that no waves had hit the area. This quake happened after a big one with an 8.8 magnitude in July 2025, which caused wave warnings and people to leave Hawaii, Japan, and other places in the Pacific.
History of Earthquakes in Kamchatka
There are a lot of earthquakes on the Kamchatka Peninsula. In early July 2025, it was hit by one of the biggest earthquakes ever recorded: an 8.8-magnitude quake that made many people leave their homes out of fear of a flood. The area was also hit by a huge 9.0 magnitude earthquake in 1952, which was one of the strongest in recorded history.
Why were these five earthquakes so strong
- 1960 The biggest earthquake ever recorded happened in Valdivia, Chile, with a magnitude of 9.5. It caused tsunamis that hit coastlines across the Pacific.
- 1964: The Great Alaska Earthquake, which had a magnitude of 9.2 and was the strongest in North America, caused a huge wave.
- The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, which had a magnitude of 9.1, sent deadly tsunamis through several countries around the Indian Ocean, killing more than 230,000 people.
- 2011 Tōhoku, Japan – 9.1 magnitude: caused a nuclear accident and a wave that killed over 15,000 people.
- 1952 Kamchatka, Russia: Magnitude 9.0: One of the biggest ever reported and the one that happened before more recent quakes in the area.
The damage that these events show how damaging big earthquakes can be and how they can spread damage through tsunamis.
This recent 7.4-magnitude earthquake in Kamchatka is a reminder of how unstable the area is when it comes to earthquakes, though thankfully, no one was hurt this time. Because of the past of area, officials are still very careful to watch for aftershocks and tsunami risks.
