A shallow and significant MAG-5.3 earthquake struck in the North Pacific Ocean 202 kilometer from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia in the late afternoon of Monday February 9th, 2026.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the North Pacific Ocean, 163 kilometers (101 mi) off the coast of Russia, 202 kilometer south-southeast 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: | Feb 9, 2026 17:09 (Kamchatka Time) - Feb 9, 2026 05:09 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 202 km SSE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Kamchatka, Russia. Coordinates 51°22'2"N 159°40'49"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.3 Detected by 9 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.103 . |
| 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 . Located 194 kilometer (121 mi) south-southeast of the epicenter of this earthquake, Vilyuchinsk (Kamchatka, Russia) is the nearest significant population center.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 194 km (121 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Vilyuchinsk Kamchatka, Russia. |
| 202 km (126 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Kamchatka, Russia. |
| 221 km (137 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Yelizovo Kamchatka, Russia. |
3 Aftershocks detected
Since this main shock, 3 smaller aftershocks were detected. A 4.4 magnitude earthquake hit 3 hrs later 32 km (20 mi) east-southeast of this earthquake.
Before this earthquake struck, 1 smaller foreshock occurred. A 4.8 magnitude earthquake hit 3 days earlier nearby.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 4.8 |
3 days earlier Feb 7, 2026 04:20 (Kamchatka Time) | 81 km (51 mi) SSE from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.3 |
Feb 9, 2026 17:09 (Kamchatka Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 4.4 |
1 hr later Feb 9, 2026 18:24 (Kamchatka Time) | 61 km (38 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.4 |
2 hrs later Feb 9, 2026 18:55 (Kamchatka Time) | 70 km (44 mi) ESE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.4 |
3 hrs later Feb 9, 2026 20:28 (Kamchatka Time) | 32 km (20 mi) ESE 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.
It's always adviced to be cautious of the risk of a larger shock following any significant earthquake, however this risk is fairly small. There is a roughly 94 percent change that no larger main shock will follow in the days following this 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 January 22nd, 2026, when a 6.2 magnitude earthquake hit 90 km (56 mi) further west-northwest. An even stronger magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck on July 29th, 2025.
In total, 203 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 18 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 10 km (6 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 09/02/26 19:28 (). This article is automatically generated based on available data. We keep checking multiple sources for additional information. This article gets updated as new details on this earthquake become available.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000s7e3
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260209_0000079
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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