Shallow M5.5 Earthquake struck on Saturday Evening in the North Pacific Ocean 162km from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (Russia).

Written by Earthquakelist.org on January 10th, 2026. Last updated January 19th, 2026.

In the evening of Saturday January 10th, 2026, a shallow and significant Magnitude 5.5 earthquake hit in the North Pacific Ocean 162 kilometer from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia. Around 250 thousand people have been exposed to shaking.

Earthquake Summary

This earthquake hit under water in the North Pacific Ocean, 111 kilometers (69 mi) off the coast of Russia, 162 kilometer east of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in Kamchatka. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 10 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.

Date and Time:	Jan 10, 2026 19:57 (Kamchatka Time) - Jan 10, 2026 07:57 Universal Time.
Location:	162 km east of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Kamchatka, Russia. Coordinates 52°46'55"N 160°59'40"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.5 Detected by 9 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.103 .
Depth:	10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	IV Light 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 250 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 250 thousand have been exposed to shaking at an MMI level of II or higher.

An estimated 50 people were exposed to level IV. At this level, light shaking and likely no damage can be expected. Intensity level III was experienced by the majority of people (around 230 thousand). In their region, weak shaking and probably no damage can be expected. All exposure to shaking was within the borders of Russia .

People	MMI Level	Shaking	Damage
0	I	Not noticable	None
21,360	II	Very weak	None
233,300	III	Weak	Probably none
50	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 162 kilometer (101 mi) east of the epicenter. Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky experienced an earthquake intensity (MMI Scale) of roughly III. That level implies weak shaking and probably no damage.

Overview of nearby places

Cities and Towns around the epicenter of this earthquake.
Distance	Place	Intensity (MMI)
162 km (101 mi) W from epicenter	Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Kamchatka, Russia.	III Weak
175 km (109 mi) W from epicenter	Vilyuchinsk Kamchatka, Russia.	III Weak
181 km (112 mi) WNW from epicenter	Yelizovo Kamchatka, Russia.	III Weak

Earthquake Intensity Map

The maximum intensity (MMI Scale) caused by this earthquake is IV. 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.

Aftershocks detected

This main shock was followed by 1 smaller aftershock. A 4.8 magnitude earthquake hit 3 hrs later 24 km (15 mi) northwest of this earthquake.

Before this earthquake struck, 1 smaller foreshock occurred. Nearby this earthquake a foreshock struck 10 hrs earlier. It measured a magnitude of 4.8

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 4.8	10 hrs earlier Jan 10, 2026 13:05 (Kamchatka Time)	92 km (57 mi) WNW from Main Shock.
Main Shock	M 5.2	Jan 10, 2026 23:31 (Kamchatka Time)	-
Aftershock	M 4.8	3 hrs later Jan 11, 2026 02:38 (Kamchatka Time)	24 km (15 mi) NW from Main Shock.

More earthquakes coming?

Aftershocks are usually at least 1 order of magnitude less strong than main shocks. The more time passes, the smaller the chance and likely strength of any potential aftershocks.

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 happen often in the region

Earthquakes of this strength are very common in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since December 18th, 2025, when a 5.9 magnitude earthquake hit 70 km (44 mi) further west. An even stronger magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck on July 29th, 2025.

In total, 99 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.5 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 month.

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 5.5. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami.	This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 10 km (6 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami.

Sources

Last updated 19/01/26 08:38 (). 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.