New Delhi: A huge earthquake has occurred in Russia. A 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit the Kanchatka Peninsula at 5:25 a.m. local time on Sunday. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the epicenter was 102 kilometers from the eastern coastal city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. It said that movements occurred at a depth of 50 km. Houses fell down due to the earthquake. However, officials disclosed that there was no major property damage. In the wake of the massive earthquake, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center of the US National Service in Honolulu issued initial tsunami warnings. But the tsunami warnings were withdrawn shortly after.
The city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is home to 1,80,000 people, a key area for the Russian Navy. There are volcanoes all around. Most of this area is under Naval Base. Meanwhile, the Shiveluch volcano, 280 miles from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, erupted. The lava is spewing up to a height of about 8 km. Due to this, the entire nearby areas were turned into ashes.
An earthquake is a sudden release of pressure in the Earth’s crust. As a result, shock waves are emitted from the inside of the earth. Most of the stresses in the crust come only up to the rock layer. But when the stress exceeds the rock layer it targets the weak area. As a result, earthquakes occur. But if the intensity of the earthquake is high, its vibrations will spread far.
The moment of magnitude 7.0 #earthquake in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky )#Russia
Source: DHP KAMCHATKA pic.twitter.com/o7lOxUthcg
— Weather monitor (@Weathermonitors) August 17, 2024
