In the morning of Tuesday February 17th, 2026, a strong M6.0 earthquake hit in the North Pacific Ocean 209 kilometer from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia. Around 110 thousand people have been exposed to shaking.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the North Pacific Ocean, 29 kilometers (18 mi) off the coast of Russia, 209 kilometer south-southwest of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in Kamchatka. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 43 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Feb 17, 2026 09:42 (Kamchatka Time) - Feb 16, 2026 21:42 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 209 km SSW of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Kamchatka, Russia. Coordinates 51°16'21"N 157°41'10"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 6.0 Detected by 55 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.042 . |
| Depth: | 43 km (27 mi) A quite shallow depth. |
| Max. Intensity: | VI
Strong 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 110 thousand people exposed to shaking
This earthquake may have been felt by around 110 thousand people. That is the expected population size of the area exposed to a level of shaking of II or higher on the Modified Mercalli scale according to the USGS.
Moderate shaking and very light damage may have been experienced by an estimated 10 people. At V, it is the highest MMI level this earthquake has caused. Intensity level III was experienced by the majority of people (around 100 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 |
| 1,170 | II |
Very weak | None |
| 102,500 | III |
Weak | Probably none |
| 4,610 | IV |
Light | Likely none |
| 10 | 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 . Located 191 kilometer (119 mi) south-southwest of the epicenter of this earthquake, Vilyuchinsk (Kamchatka, Russia) is the nearest significant population center. The intensity of shaking and damage in Vilyuchinsk is estimated to be around level III on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (weak shaking, probably no damage).
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place | Intensity (MMI) |
|---|---|---|
| 191 km (119 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Vilyuchinsk Kamchatka, Russia. |
III
Weak |
| 209 km (130 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Kamchatka, Russia. |
|
| 218 km (135 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Yelizovo Kamchatka, Russia. |
Earthquake Intensity Map
The intensity in shaking and damage by this earthquake is illustrated through the map below. The highest intensity measured for this earthquake is V.
Risk of aftershocks?
We have not yet detected any foreshocks or aftershocks (MAG-2.5 or higher) within 100km (62 mi) of this earthquake.
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 January 22nd, 2026, when a 6.2 magnitude earthquake hit 82 km (51 mi) further north-east. An even stronger magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck on July 29th, 2025.
In total, 41 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 3 months.
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 6. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 43 km (27 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 17/02/26 22:28 (). 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 us6000s9l2
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260216_0000327
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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