In the North Pacific Ocean 169 kilometer from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia, a shallow and significant M5.3 earthquake occurred in the evening of Saturday January 17th, 2026.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the North Pacific Ocean, 121 kilometers (75 mi) off the coast of Russia, 169 kilometer east-southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in Kamchatka. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 23 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Jan 17, 2026 18:46 (Kamchatka Time) - Jan 17, 2026 06:46 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 169 km ESE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Kamchatka, Russia. Coordinates 52°23'28"N 160°52'37"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.3 Detected by 8 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.11 . |
| Depth: | 23 km (14 mi) A very shallow depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Low tsunami risk Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 do not usually cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake may have been felt in Russia . Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in Kamchatka, Russia is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 169 kilometer (105 mi) east-southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 169 km (105 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Kamchatka, Russia. |
| 177 km (110 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Vilyuchinsk Kamchatka, Russia. |
| 190 km (118 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Yelizovo Kamchatka, Russia. |
4 Aftershocks detected
After this earthquake struck, 4 smaller aftershocks occurred. At a distance of 65 km (40 mi) south-southwest of this earthquake, an aftershock struck 2 days later. It measured a magnitude of 4.5
In the days before this main shock, 1 smaller foreshock was detected. Nearby this earthquake a foreshock struck 10 hrs earlier. It measured a magnitude of 4.3
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 4.3 |
10 hrs earlier Jan 17, 2026 08:39 (Kamchatka Time) | 57 km (35 mi) NNE from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.3 |
Jan 17, 2026 18:46 (Kamchatka Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 4.3 |
21 mins later Jan 17, 2026 19:07 (Kamchatka Time) | 16 km (10 mi) S from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.3 |
36 mins later Jan 17, 2026 19:22 (Kamchatka Time) | 27 km (17 mi) NNW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.5 |
2 days later Jan 19, 2026 19:19 (Kamchatka Time) | 65 km (40 mi) SSW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.3 |
2 days later Jan 20, 2026 06:22 (Kamchatka Time) | 88 km (55 mi) NNE from Main Shock. |
More earthquakes coming?
Earthquakes can create aftershocks. These are generally at least 1 magnitude lower than any main shock, and as time passes the chance and strength of aftershocks decreases.
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
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 January 10th, 2026, when a 5.5 magnitude earthquake hit 44 km (27 mi) further north. An even stronger magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck on July 29th, 2025.
In total, 175 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.3 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 21 days.
Low tsunami risk
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 5.3. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 23 km (14 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 20/01/26 04:18 (). 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.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000rq9h
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260117_0000072
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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