In News:

• Recently, a magnitude 8.8 megathrust quake struck off the eastern coast of Kamchatka Peninsula, one of the largest ever recorded globally.
• This quake ranks among the six strongest recorded since modern seismology began—comparable to events in Ecuador (1906) and Chile (2010)—but caused remarkably limited damage.
• It originated in the Kuril–Kamchatka subduction zone, where the denser Pacific Plate thrusts beneath the North American/Okhotsk plates—a region known for frequent tectonic activity. The rupture extended over 200–300 miles underwater.

Tsunami: Warnings, Impact, and Aftermath

• The quake triggered tsunami alerts across the Pacific: Japan, the U.S. West Coast, Alaska, Hawai‘i, Chile, Ecuador (Galápagos), and French Polynesia, among others, issued multi-national warnings.
• In Kamchatka, waves between 3 to 5 meters struck, inundating the port and fish-processing plants in Severo-Kurilsk.
• Locally in Severo-Kurilsk, the quake caused serious structural damage to residential and social infrastructure, once again highlighting its vulnerability—especially recalling the catastrophic 1952 earthquake and tsunami that devastated the town.

Volcanic Aftermath: A Volcanic Chain Reaction

• In the quake’s wake, six volcanoes on Kamchatka became active. Most notably, Krasheninnikov erupted for the first time in 600 years, while others like KlyuchevskayaSopka, Shiveluch, Bezymianny, Karymsky, and Avachinsky also showed signs of eruption.
• This surge in volcanic activity—sparked by seismic fracturing of the crust—is considered a rare geological cascade, comparable to events last seen in 1737. Ash plumes reached up to 10 km height, posing aviation hazards.

Historical Perspective: Kamchatka’s Seismic Legacy

• 1952 Severo-Kurilsk Earthquake (Mag 8.8–9.0) caused a massive tsunami up to 18 meters, killing thousands and destroying the original town. It remains a defining tragedy in Russia’s seismic history.
• Earlier, the 1923 Kamchatka quake (Mag ~7–8) generated a tsunami that reached Hawaii and California’s coastlines, showing long-standing Pacific-wide impacts.
• These events underline the repeatable seismic vulnerability of the region and importance of preparedness.