Kamchatka shifts nearly two metres southeast after massive earthquake

Following a powerful earthquake in Kamchatka, the southern part of the peninsula shifted nearly two meters southeast, according to the Kamchatka branch of the Federal Research Centre of the Unified Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences, cited by Russian media.

The agency’s Telegram channel shared preliminary geodynamic calculations showing significant movement: “Where did Kamchatka go after the strong earthquake? Our initial analysis based on geodynamic observations revealed that the region shifted noticeably to the southeast. The greatest co-seismic displacements occurred in the southern part of the peninsula, reaching almost 2 metres—comparable to the horizontal shifts seen after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake in Japan.”

Meanwhile, stations in the Petropavlovsk cluster, including Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky itself, experienced smaller shifts.

Scientists noted this aligns with the preliminary seismic model, which predicted the largest movements on the southern edge of the epicentre. Consequently, a strong macroseismic effect was felt in Severo-Kurilsk, while Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky experienced relatively mild shaking.

The July 30 earthquake in Kamchatka was the most powerful in decades, registering a magnitude of 8.8. Tremors were also detected in the northern Kuril Islands, leading to a tsunami warning and a state of emergency declaration in the North Kuril region. Four tsunami waves caused partial damage to the port infrastructure and other facilities.

In the aftermath, volcanic activity increased in Kamchatka. Klyuchevskaya Sopka was the first volcano to erupt, soon followed by Krasheninnikov, which had been dormant for over 460 years.

By Tamilla Hasanova