On Saturday Night a Shallow M5.8 Earthquake struck in the North Pacific Ocean 171km from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (Russia).

Written by Earthquakelist.org on October 2nd, 2026. Last updated October 3rd, 2026.

A shallow and significant M5.8 earthquake struck in the North Pacific Ocean 171 kilometer from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia in the night of Saturday October 3rd, 2026. Such earthquakes in regions like this usually have a minimal impact on people and the economy.

Earthquake Summary

This earthquake hit under water in the North Pacific Ocean, 149 kilometers (93 mi) off the coast of Russia, 171 kilometer south-east of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in Kamchatka. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 30 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.

Date and Time:	Oct 3, 2026 04:34 (Kamchatka Time) - Oct 2, 2026 16:34 Universal Time.
Location:	171 km SE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Kamchatka, Russia. Coordinates 51°41'14"N 159°44'23"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.8 Detected by 45 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.046 .
Depth:	30 km (18 mi) A quite shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	IV Light 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 90% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities.

The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level GREEN (low). They expect an 90% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact.

Not many people felt this earthquake

An estimated 50 have been exposed to shaking (An MMI or Modified Mercalli Intensity level II or higher) as a result of this earthquake according scientific estimates published by the USGS.

The highest earthquake impact level for this earthquake is III, which corresponds with weak shaking and probably no damage. Roughly 50 people are expected to be exposed to this level. All exposure to shaking was within the borders of Russia .

People	MMI Level	Shaking	Damage
0	I	Not noticable	None
0	II	Very weak	None
50	III	Weak	Probably none
0	IV	Light	Likely none
0	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 . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Vilyuchinsk in Kamchatka, Russia. Vilyuchinsk is located 165 kilometer (103 mi) south-east of the epicenter.

Overview of nearby places

Cities and Towns around the epicenter of this earthquake.
Distance	Place
165 km (103 mi) NW from epicenter	Vilyuchinsk Kamchatka, Russia.
171 km (106 mi) NW from epicenter	Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Kamchatka, Russia.
191 km (119 mi) NW 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 IV.

I Not felt

II Weak

III Weak

IV Light

V Moderate

VI Strong

VII Very Strong

VIII Severe

IX Violent

X Extreme

Earthquake Intensity Map based on Shakemap Data provided by USGS.

19 Aftershocks detected

Since this main shock, 19 smaller aftershocks were detected. Just 4 hrs after this main shock, an earthquake measuring MAG-5.3 was detected 63 km (39 mi) northwest of this earthquake.

This main shock was prefaced by 4 smaller foreshocks. Roughly 2 days before this earthquake, a foreshock measuring MAG-5 was detected nearby this earthquake.

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

Detected MAG2.5+ earthquakes within within 100km (62 mi), that occurred in the three days before and after the main shock.
Classification	Magnitude	When	Where
Foreshock	M 5.0	2 days earlier Oct 1, 2026 06:21 (Kamchatka Time)	81 km (50 mi) NE from Main Shock.
Foreshock	M 4.6	2 days earlier Oct 1, 2026 06:26 (Kamchatka Time)	88 km (55 mi) NE from Main Shock.
Foreshock	M 4.9	2 days earlier Oct 1, 2026 06:36 (Kamchatka Time)	85 km (53 mi) NE from Main Shock.
Foreshock	M 4.2	2 days earlier Oct 1, 2026 15:50 (Kamchatka Time)	91 km (57 mi) NE from Main Shock.
Main Shock This Earthquake	M 5.8	Oct 3, 2026 04:34 (Kamchatka Time)	-
Aftershock	M 4.7	16 mins later Oct 3, 2026 04:50 (Kamchatka Time)	40 km (25 mi) SE from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.6	23 mins later Oct 3, 2026 04:57 (Kamchatka Time)	12 km (7 mi) E from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.6	31 mins later Oct 3, 2026 05:05 (Kamchatka Time)	18 km (11 mi) S from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.5	2 hrs later Oct 3, 2026 06:21 (Kamchatka Time)	20 km (12 mi) SE from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 5.0	2 hrs later Oct 3, 2026 06:25 (Kamchatka Time)	14 km (9 mi) SE from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.2	3 hrs later Oct 3, 2026 07:11 (Kamchatka Time)	26 km (16 mi) SE from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.7	4 hrs later Oct 3, 2026 08:07 (Kamchatka Time)	25 km (16 mi) SE from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.9	4 hrs later Oct 3, 2026 08:25 (Kamchatka Time)	31 km (19 mi) NW from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 5.1	4 hrs later Oct 3, 2026 08:27 (Kamchatka Time)	42 km (26 mi) S from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 5.3	4 hrs later Oct 3, 2026 08:27 (Kamchatka Time)	63 km (39 mi) NW from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.9	4 hrs later Oct 3, 2026 08:38 (Kamchatka Time)	82 km (51 mi) NW from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 5.0	4 hrs later Oct 3, 2026 08:54 (Kamchatka Time)	10 km (6 mi) E from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.6	5 hrs later Oct 3, 2026 09:04 (Kamchatka Time)	24 km (15 mi) SE from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.7	7 hrs later Oct 3, 2026 11:54 (Kamchatka Time)	19 km (12 mi) W from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.6	7 hrs later Oct 3, 2026 11:59 (Kamchatka Time)	12 km (7 mi) S from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.8	7 hrs later Oct 3, 2026 12:01 (Kamchatka Time)	6 km (4 mi) W from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.8	7 hrs later Oct 3, 2026 12:01 (Kamchatka Time)	45 km (28 mi) NW from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.7	8 hrs later Oct 3, 2026 12:20 (Kamchatka Time)	26 km (16 mi) SE from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 5.0	10 hrs later Oct 3, 2026 14:59 (Kamchatka Time)	64 km (40 mi) NE 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.

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 August 17th, 2026, when a 5.8 magnitude earthquake hit 145 km (90 mi) further north. An even stronger magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck on July 29th, 2025.

In total, 67 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.8 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 2 months.

Low tsunami risk

DISCLAIMER: We strongly suggest to closely monitor advice from local authorities with regards to tsunami risks. Our analysis is based on automatically collected data from external sources, and these might contain mistakes. In addition, earthquakes can cause landslides that may lead to a tsunami, or be a followed by another, potentially stonger, earthquake.

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 5.8. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami.	This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 30 km (18 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami.

Sources

Last updated 03/10/26 06:28 (). 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.