Russia’s Kamchatka hit by strong earthquake since 1952 – What happened 73 years ago?

The massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Russia’s far east coast early Wednesday (Jul 30) was the region’s strongest recorded quake in 73 years. Kamchatka’s geophysical service said that the seismic event was the strongest since 1952. It added that strong aftershocks of up to 7.5 magnitude are possible. The earthquake has triggered tsunami warnings across the Pacific.

“The strongest earthquake since 1952 has just occurred in the Kamchatka seismic zone ... Given the scale of the event, strong aftershocks with a magnitude of up to 7.5 should be expected,” Kamchatka’s geophysical service said on Telegram.

According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the epicentre of the earthquake was roughly the same as the massive 9.0 quake in 1952, which resulted in a Pacific-wide tsunami. It added that the recent seismic activity was one of the 10 strongest earthquakes ever recorded.

The recent earthquake was also the largest since 2011, when a 9.1 magnitude quake struck Japan, triggering a destructive tsunami that killed over 15,000 people.

Following the earthquake, at least six aftershocks rattled the far east region of Russia, including one of magnitude 6.9 and another of magnitude 6.3. Russian authorities said that a tsunami struck and flooded the port town of Severo-Kurilsk.

According to the US Tsunami Warning Centers, waves of more than three metres above the tide level were expected along the coasts of Ecuador, the northwestern Hawaiian islands and Russia. While waves of between one to three metres high were predicted along some coasts of Chile, Costa Rica, French Polynesia, Hawaii, Japan and other islands in the Pacific, it said.

In addition, waves of up to one metre were possible in Australia, Colombia, Mexico, New Zealand, Tonga and Taiwan.

What happened during 1952 earthquake?

The 1952 Kamchatka Peninsula earthquake was one of the most powerful seismic events recorded in the 20th century. The magnitude 9.0 quake, which occurred on November 4, triggered a massive tsunami, which resulted in significant damage to the coastal regions of Hawaii. The earthquake triggered massive tsunami waves measuring as high as 9.1 metres (30 feet). Despite the intensity of the event, no fatalities occurred, mostly due to the remote nature of the region.