On Sunday Morning an Unusually powerful M7.0 Earthquake struck in the North Pacific Ocean 101km from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (Russia).

Written by Earthquakelist.org on August 17th, 2024. Last updated September 19th, 2024.

In the morning of Sunday August 18th, 2024, an unusually powerful MAG-7.0 earthquake hit in the North Pacific Ocean 101 kilometer from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia. The USGS has indicated there is a potential risk at tsunami's following this earthquake.

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Earthquake Summary

This earthquake hit under water in the North Pacific Ocean, right off the coast of Russia (12 mi offshore), 101 kilometer east of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in Kamchatka. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 29 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.

Date and Time:	Aug 18, 2024 07:10 (Kamchatka Time) - Aug 17, 2024 19:10 Universal Time.
Location:	101 km east of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Kamchatka, Russia. Coordinates 52°56'13"N 160°6'57"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 7.0 Detected by 13 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.03 .
Depth:	29 km (18 mi) A quite shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	VII Very Strong On the Modified Mercalli Scale.
Tsunami Risk:	Potential tsunami risk The USGS has indicated there is a potential risk at tsunami's following this earthquake. Always stay cautious - More info here.

Potential tsunami risk

There is a potential tsunami risk in the aftermath of this earthquake, immediately evacuate to higher grounds away from coastal areas and monitor advice from local authorities. The US Geographic Survey organization has indicated a potential risk for tsunami's following this earthquake.

Tsunami Risk Factors

Minimal impact predicted

Based on scientific estimates by the US Geographic Survey (USGS), the risk of high fatalities for this earthquake is classified at level GREEN (low). They expect an 65% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities, and a 96% chance that the number of fatalities falls no higher than 10.

The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level GREEN (low). They expect an 81% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact, and a 99% chance that the economic impact of this earthquake falls no higher than 10 million USD.

Roughly 270 thousand people exposed to shaking

The USGS has published a report estimating the number of people exposed to this earthquake. Acoording to their analysis, roughly 270 thousand have been exposed to shaking at an MMI level of II or higher.

An estimated 450 people were exposed to level VI. At this level, strong shaking and probably light damage can be expected. Intensity level V was experienced by the majority of people (around 210 thousand). In their region, moderate shaking and very light damage can be expected. All exposure to shaking was within the borders of Russia .

Nearby towns and cities

This earthquake may have been felt in Russia . Located 101 kilometer (63 mi) east of the epicenter of this earthquake, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (Kamchatka, Russia) is the nearest significant population center. Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky experienced an earthquake intensity (MMI Scale) of roughly V. That level implies moderate shaking and very light damage.

Overview of nearby places

Earthquake Intensity Map

The intensity in shaking and damage by this earthquake is illustrated through the map below. The highest intensity measured for this earthquake is VI.

I Not felt

II Weak

III Weak

IV Light

V Moderate

VI Strong

VII Very Strong

VIII Severe

IX Violent

X Extreme

Shaking reported by 13 people

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 13 people have reported shaking in 3 places, all within Russia.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.

Places with most reports:

• Mohovaja, Kamčatka, Russia: 7 people.
• Petropavlovsk-Kamčatskij, Kamčatka, Russia: 4 people.
• Jelizovo, Kamčatka, Russia: 2 people.

23 Aftershocks detected

This main shock was followed by 23 smaller aftershocks. A 5.2 magnitude earthquake hit 11 mins later 6 km (4 mi) west of this earthquake.

In the days before this main shock, 1 smaller foreshock was detected. A 4 magnitude earthquake hit 2 days earlier nearby.

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

More earthquakes coming?

The risk of aftershocks decreases rapidly over time. Usually, aftershocks are at least one order of magnitude lower than a main shock.

The chance that a significant earthquake like this one is followed by an even larger earthquake is not so large. On average, scientists estimate a 94% chance that a major earthquake will not be followed by an even larger one. It is still adviced to be aware of this risk

This is the strongest earthquake in 9 years

Earthquakes of this strength are not so common in the region, but it's not the first time. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since January 30th, 2016, when a 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit 156 km (97 mi) further northwest. That was also the heaviest earthquake to hit the region in the past 10 years.

In total, 1 earthquake with a magnitude of 7 or higher have been registered within 300km (186 mi) of this epicenter in the past 10 years. This comes down to an average of once every 10 years.

Sources

Last updated 19/09/24 01:38 (). As more information on this earthquake becomes available this article will be updated. This article is automatically composed based on data originating from multiple sources.

1. US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000n7n8
2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20240817_0000191
3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
4. Google Maps: Static API
5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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