Russia’s 8.8 Earthquake Is One of many Strongest Ever Recorded
Russia’s earthquake was estimated at magnitude 8.8, among the many strongest since scientists started monitoring
Harm from a magnitude 8.8 earthquake that struck off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on July 30, 2025.
Kamchatka Department of Geophysical Survey of Russian Academy of Science (KBGSRAS)/S. Lakamov by way of Getty Pictures
On July 30, 2025, a magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck off the jap coast of Russia, sending a tsunami towards that nation’s coast and excessive waves throughout the Pacific Ocean, from Japan to Hawaii and California. The world has witnessed a number of very giant earthquakes previously couple of years, together with a magnitude 7.7 quake in Myanmar in March 2025 and a magnitude 7.4 temblor on Taiwan’s jap coast in April 2024. The Richter scale is logarithmic, that means the seismic waves in a magnitude 8.0 quake are 10 occasions larger in amplitude than these in a magnitude 7.0 one—and have roughly 32 occasions extra energy. The 7.0 waves, in flip, are 10 occasions larger and 32 occasions extra highly effective than these of a 6.0 quake.
READ MORE: Tsunami Warnings Issued after Magnitude 8.8 Earthquake Strikes off Russian Coast
On supporting science journalism
In case you’re having fun with this text, contemplate supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By buying a subscription you’re serving to to make sure the way forward for impactful tales concerning the discoveries and concepts shaping our world right this moment.
The strongest earthquake ever recorded, a magnitude 9.5, struck Chile’s southern coast in 1960. Under is an inventory and particulars of essentially the most highly effective earthquakes on report, in response to the U.S. Geological Survey. Russia’s newest quake will seemingly be added after scientists have an opportunity to investigate and confirm information recorded by seismographs worldwide.
Magnitude 9.5: Biobío, Chile, 1960. This earthquake, the biggest on report, is usually known as the Valdivia earthquake or Nice Chilean earthquake. It killed 1,655 folks and induced two million to change into houseless.
Magnitude 9.2: Alaska, 1964. This quake, generally known as the Nice Alaska earthquake, the Prince William Sound earthquake or the Good Friday earthquake, induced a tsunami. Collectively, the earthquake and tsunami resulted within the deaths of 130 folks and $2.3 billion in injury.
Magnitude 9.1: Sumatra, Indonesia, 2004. Known as the Sumatra-Andaman Islands earthquake, this quake induced huge tsunamis and greater than 280,000 deaths. It additionally displaced 1.1 million folks in South Asia and East Africa.
Magnitude 9.1: Tōhoku, Japan, 2011. The Nice Tōhoku earthquake and subsequent tsunami induced greater than 15,000 deaths and displaced and extra 130,000 folks.
Magnitude 9.0: Kamchatka Krai, Russia, 1952. This earthquake was the primary recorded magnitude 9.0 quake on the earth and induced a large tsunami that struck Hawaii, leading to greater than $1 million in damages.
Magnitude 8.8: Biobío, Chile, 2010. This intense quake struck offshore, close to Chile’s metropolis of Quirihue. Greater than 370,000 properties have been destroyed, and 523 folks have been killed.
Magnitude 8.8: Esmeraldas, Ecuador, 1906. A powerful tsunami was triggered by the so-called Ecuador-Colombia earthquake. The tsunami traveled as far north as San Francisco and induced 1,500 deaths.
Magnitude 8.7: Alaska, 1965. This earthquake occurred close to the Rat Islands, a part of the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. The peak of the ensuing tsunami was reportedly 35 ft.
Magnitude 8.6: Arunachal Pradesh, India, 1960. The Assam-Tibet earthquake killed 780 folks. Along with shaking, the quake induced sandblows, cracks within the floor and landslides.
Magnitude 8.6: Sumatra, Indonesia, 2012. This earthquake struck off the coast of northern Sumatra and resulted in heavy shaking. Just a few deaths occurred; most have been brought on by coronary heart assaults.
