Russia’s 8.7 Magnitude Earthquake Ranked as the Sixth Most Powerful in Recorded History

The 8.7 magnitude earthquake that struck Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula has been identified as the sixth most powerful earthquake in modern history. Dr. Helen Janiszewski, Assistant Professor of Seismology and Tectonics at the University of Hawaii, stated that the quake has drawn global attention due to its severity.

According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the actual magnitude of the quake was 8.8, placing it on par with the 2010 earthquake in Chile’s Biobío Province and the 1906 Esmeraldas earthquake in Ecuador.

Regarding the Chilean earthquake, the USGS reported that it struck near the coastal city of Curihue, killing 523 people and destroying over 370,000 homes.

The 1906 earthquake, which struck the border region between Ecuador and Colombia, triggered a massive tsunami that claimed the lives of approximately 1,500 people and reached as far as San Francisco.

Such massive earthquakes are not new to Russia. The fifth most powerful earthquake in recorded history also occurred in Kamchatka, back in 1952. That quake was the world’s first recorded magnitude 9 earthquake and triggered a destructive tsunami that struck Hawaii, causing damage exceeding one million dollars.

In the wake of the recent quake, tsunami warnings and aftershock alerts have been issued in the region. Seismologists are closely monitoring the situation.