Shallow M6.0 Earthquake struck on Friday Afternoon in the North Pacific Ocean 117km from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (Russia).

Written by Earthquakelist.org on August 30th, 2024. Last updated October 28th, 2024.

In the late afternoon of Friday August 30th, 2024, a shallow and strong M6.0 earthquake hit in the North Pacific Ocean 117 kilometer from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia. Shaking may have been felt by a total of 270 thousand people.

Earthquake Summary

This earthquake hit under water in the North Pacific Ocean, 38 kilometers (24 mi) off the coast of Russia, 117 kilometer east of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in Kamchatka. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 26 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.

Date and Time:	Aug 30, 2024 16:24 (Kamchatka Time) - Aug 30, 2024 04:24 Universal Time.
Location:	117 km east of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Kamchatka, Russia. Coordinates 53°0'6"N 160°22'43"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 6.0 Detected by 44 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.047 .
Depth:	26 km (16 mi) A quite shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	V Moderate On the Modified Mercalli Scale.
Tsunami Risk:	Low tsunami risk Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 do not usually cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here.

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 65% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact, and a 96% chance that the economic impact of this earthquake falls no higher than 10 million USD.

Roughly 270 thousand people exposed to shaking

An estimated 270 thousand have been exposed to shaking (An MMI or Modified Mercalli Intensity level II or higher) as a result of this earthquake according scientific estimates published by the USGS.

The highest earthquake impact level for this earthquake is IV, which corresponds with light shaking and likely no damage. Roughly 151,500 people are expected to be exposed to this level. All exposure to shaking was within the borders of Russia .

People	MMI Level	Shaking	Damage
0	I	Not noticable	None
0	II	Very weak	None
120,500	III	Weak	Probably none
151,500	IV	Light	Likely none
0	V	Moderate	Very light
0	VI	Strong	Light
0	VII	Very Strong	Moderate
0	VIII	Severe	Moderate to heavy
0	IX	Violent	Heavy
0	X	Extreme	Very heavy

Nearby towns and cities

This earthquake may have been felt in Russia . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in Kamchatka, Russia. Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is located 117 kilometer (73 mi) east of the epicenter. Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky experienced an earthquake intensity (MMI Scale) of roughly IV. That level implies light shaking and likely no damage.

Overview of nearby places

Cities and Towns around the epicenter of this earthquake.
Distance	Place	Intensity (MMI)
117 km (73 mi) W from epicenter	Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Kamchatka, Russia.	IV Light
132 km (82 mi) W from epicenter	Vilyuchinsk Kamchatka, Russia.	IV Light
135 km (84 mi) W from epicenter	Yelizovo Kamchatka, Russia.	IV Light

Earthquake Intensity Map

The maximum intensity (MMI Scale) caused by this earthquake is V. The map below shows in which areas this earthquake was the most and least impactful. It is based on data from the US Geographic Survey.

I Not felt

II Weak

III Weak

IV Light

V Moderate

VI Strong

VII Very Strong

VIII Severe

IX Violent

X Extreme

Earthquake Intensity Map based on Shakemap Data provided by USGS.

Shaking reported by 1 person

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 1 person has reported shaking in one place in 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:

Petropavlovsk-Kamčatskij, Kamčatka, Russia: 1 person.

3 Aftershocks detected

Since this main shock, 3 smaller aftershocks were detected. A 4.6 magnitude earthquake hit 3 days later 15 km (9 mi) northwest of this earthquake.

In the days before this main shock, 1 smaller foreshock was detected. A 4.1 magnitude earthquake hit 2 days earlier nearby.

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

Detected MAG2.5+ earthquakes within within 100km (62 mi), that occurred in the three days before and after the main shock.
Classification	Magnitude	When	Where
Foreshock	M 4.1	2 days earlier Aug 28, 2024 22:04 (Kamchatka Time)	43 km (27 mi) W from Main Shock.
Main Shock This Earthquake	M 6.0	Aug 30, 2024 16:24 (Kamchatka Time)	-
Aftershock	M 4.3	7 mins later Aug 30, 2024 16:31 (Kamchatka Time)	20 km (13 mi) SSW from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.1	2 days later Sep 1, 2024 12:06 (Kamchatka Time)	38 km (24 mi) W from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.6	3 days later Sep 2, 2024 08:36 (Kamchatka Time)	15 km (9 mi) NW from Main Shock.

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.

In only six percent of cases, significant earthquakes are followed by a larger main shock, making the current earthquake a foreshock. While the chance of this happening is not so large, it is adviced to maintain cautiousness in the hours and days following a major earthquake.

Read: How to Stay Safe during an Earthquake (cdc.gov).

Earthquakes like this are common in the region

Earthquakes of this strength occur quite regularly in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since August 17th, 2024, when a 7 magnitude earthquake hit 18 km (11 mi) further west-southwest. An even stronger magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck on January 30th, 2016.

In total, 7 earthquakes with a magnitude of 6 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 year.

Low tsunami risk

DISCLAIMER: We strongly suggest to closely monitor advice from local authorities with regards to tsunami risks. Our analysis is based on automatically collected data from external sources, and these might contain mistakes. In addition, earthquakes can cause landslides that may lead to a tsunami, or be a followed by another, potentially stonger, earthquake.

Based on early data it appears this earthquake was not strong enough (lower than MAG-6.5) to be likely to cause destructive tsunami's. However this earthquake appeared to have hit at a shallow depth under sea, so stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.

Tsunami Risk Factors

Factor	Under Sea?	MAG-6.5 or stronger?	Shallow depth?
Explanation	Almost all tsunami's are caused by earthquakes with their epicenter under sea or very near the sea. However stay cautious in coastal areas as earthquakes on land may cause landslides into sea, potentially still causing a local tsunami.	Under MAG 6.5: Very unlikely to cause a tsunami. MAG 6.5 to 7.5: Destructive tsunami's do occur, but are uncommon. Likely to observe small sea level changes. MAG 7.6+: Earthquakes with these magnitudes might produce destructive tsunami's.	Most destructive tsunami's are caused by shallow earthquakes with a depth between 0 and 100km under the surface of the earth. Deeper tsunami's are unlikely to displace to ocean floor.
This Earthquake	This earthquake appears to have struck under the sea.	Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 6. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami.	This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 26 km (16 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami.

Sources

Last updated 28/10/24 08:08 (). This article contains currently available information about the earthquake and is automatically composed. We continue to update this article up to a few days after the earthquake occurred.