In the early afternoon of Sunday July 19th, 2026, a shallow and significant Magnitude 5.3 aftershock hit in the North Pacific Ocean 162 kilometer from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the North Pacific Ocean, 96 kilometers (60 mi) off the coast of Russia, 162 kilometer south of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in Kamchatka. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 5 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Jul 19, 2026 12:39 (Kamchatka Time) - Jul 19, 2026 00:39 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 162 km south of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Kamchatka, Russia. Coordinates 51°38'19"N 159°6'48"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.3 Detected by 267 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.035 . |
| Depth: | 5 km (3 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 . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Vilyuchinsk in Kamchatka, Russia. Vilyuchinsk is located 152 kilometer (94 mi) south of the epicenter.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 152 km (94 mi) N from epicenter |
Vilyuchinsk Kamchatka, Russia. |
| 162 km (101 mi) N from epicenter |
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Kamchatka, Russia. |
| 179 km (111 mi) N from epicenter |
Yelizovo Kamchatka, Russia. |
This is likely an aftershock
This earthquake was an aftershock. A larger mag. 5.3 earthquake struck 44 km (28 mi) south-east in advance of this 5.3 earthquake around 1 sec earlier.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Shock | M 5.3 |
Jul 19, 2026 12:39 (Kamchatka Time) | - |
| Aftershock This Earthquake |
M 5.3 |
1 sec later Jul 19, 2026 12:39 (Kamchatka Time) | 45 km (28 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.6 |
23 hrs later Jul 20, 2026 12:09 (Kamchatka Time) | 30 km (19 mi) SW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.6 |
23 hrs later Jul 20, 2026 12:09 (Kamchatka Time) | 75 km (47 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.
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. In total, 218 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 17 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 5 km (3 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 20/07/26 09:58 (). 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.
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260719_0000009
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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