A shallow and significant MAG-5.2 earthquake struck in the North Pacific Ocean 291 kilometer from Vilyuchinsk, Russia in the night of Tuesday January 27th, 2026.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the North Pacific Ocean, 132 kilometers (82 mi) off the coast of Russia, 291 kilometer south of Vilyuchinsk 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 27, 2026 02:44 (Kamchatka Time) - Jan 26, 2026 14:44 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 291 km south of Vilyuchinsk, Kamchatka, Russia. Coordinates 50°19'16"N 158°0'48"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.2 Detected by 14 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.083 . |
| Depth: | 10 km (6 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 . Vilyuchinsk in Kamchatka, Russia is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 291 kilometer (181 mi) south of Vilyuchinsk.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 291 km (181 mi) N from epicenter |
Vilyuchinsk Kamchatka, Russia. |
Aftershocks detected
Before this earthquake struck, 1 smaller foreshock occurred. A 3.9 magnitude earthquake hit 2 days earlier nearby.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 3.9 |
2 days earlier Jan 25, 2026 01:29 (Kamchatka Time) | 89 km (55 mi) SW from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.2 |
Jan 27, 2026 02:44 (Kamchatka Time) | - |
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
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 22nd, 2026, when a 6.2 magnitude earthquake hit 166 km (103 mi) further north-northeast. An even stronger magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck on July 29th, 2025.
In total, 164 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.2 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 22 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 5.2. 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 27/01/26 09:58 (). 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.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000rs4q
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260126_0000269
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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