A shallow and significant MAG-5.3 earthquake struck in the North Pacific Ocean 198 kilometer from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia in the early afternoon of Sunday July 19th, 2026.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the North Pacific Ocean, 156 kilometers (97 mi) off the coast of Russia, 198 kilometer south 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: | Jul 19, 2026 12:39 (Kamchatka Time) - Jul 19, 2026 00:39 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 198 km south of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Kamchatka, Russia. Coordinates 51°23'9"N 159°36'42"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: | 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 191 kilometer (119 mi) south-east of the epicenter of this earthquake, Vilyuchinsk (Kamchatka, Russia) is the nearest significant population center.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 191 km (119 mi) NW from epicenter |
Vilyuchinsk Kamchatka, Russia. |
| 198 km (123 mi) N from epicenter |
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Kamchatka, Russia. |
| 217 km (135 mi) NW from epicenter |
Yelizovo Kamchatka, Russia. |
3 Aftershocks detected
Since this main shock, 3 smaller aftershocks were detected. A 5.3 magnitude earthquake hit 1 sec later 45 km (28 mi) northwest of this earthquake.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.3 |
Jul 19, 2026 12:39 (Kamchatka Time) | - |
| Aftershock | 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?
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 July 5th, 2026, when a 5.3 magnitude earthquake hit 294 km (183 mi) further southwest. An even stronger magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck on July 29th, 2025.
In total, 215 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 10 km (6 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 20/07/26 09:58 (). 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 us7000t1py
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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