A massive earthquake has struck eastern Russia, prompting a tsunami alert for the area. The earthquake registered a powerful 7.8 on the Richter Scale and hit the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy near the Kamchatka peninsula at a depth of 10 km (6.21 miles), as reported by the US Geological Survey.

Notably, the region is home to key military installations such as the Yelizovo Air Base in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the Vilyuchinsk Submarine Base about 20-30 km away in Vilyuchinsk, and the Sharomy Air Base located approximately 143 km north of the city. Concerns have been raised about the evacuation of submarines and aircraft in the affected areas, with limited information available on the extent of the earthquake’s impact.

As a precautionary measure, the governor of Kamchatka, Vladimir Solodov, has mobilized emergency services and issued a tsunami warning. The US National Weather Service’s Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Hawaii has also issued a tsunami advisory, alerting countries including Japan to be prepared for potential tsunamis. It is anticipated that the effects of the earthquake could propagate across the Pacific, with residents in Hawaii advised to remain vigilant.

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, with a population of 181,000, is situated on the Kuril-Kamchatka Arc, a seismically active zone extending 2,100 km from Hokkaido, Japan, to the Kamchatka Peninsula. This region has a history of significant seismic events, with the most notable being a 9.0 magnitude earthquake in 1952.

This recent earthquake, the second within a week, struck the Kamchatka peninsula early on September 13, according to the US Geological Survey. It follows a massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake that occurred in the same area weeks ago. While the earlier earthquake did not trigger a tsunami warning, it was linked to a previous significant seismic event in July.

The latest earthquake, originating at a depth of around 20 km, ranks among the top 10 strongest quakes recorded and is the largest globally since 2011. It has led to tsunami alerts and evacuations in Russia, Japan, and Hawaii, with precautionary advisories issued for other countries as well.

Compared to the previous seismic activity, the 7.4 magnitude earthquake from last week was relatively less disruptive. However, the earthquake that occurred on September 18 is reported to be more intense.