5.0 magnitude earthquake 166 km southeast of Vilyuchinsk, Russia: USGS

5.0 magnitude earthquake 166 km southeast of Vilyuchinsk, Russia: USGS

A significant 5.0 magnitude earthquake struck 166 kilometers southeast of Vilyuchinsk, Russia, on August 8, 2025, at 13:05:04 UTC. The earthquake, which occurred at a depth of 85 kilometers, was reported by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The epicenter was located at 52.0933°N / 158.3389°E in the Yelizovsky District of Kamchatka, Russia.

The earthquake was felt in several nearby towns, with the strongest shaking reported in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy, a city with over 180,000 inhabitants located 110 kilometers north of the epicenter. Residents in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy reported light shaking, while those in Vilyuchinsk, 93 kilometers north of the epicenter, reported weak shaking. The earthquake was also felt in other nearby towns, including Yelizovo, Paratunka, and Ozernovskiy, with shaking intensities ranging from very weak to light.

The USGS initially reported the earthquake as magnitude 5.0, but the magnitude was recalculated to 5.1 and then back to 5.0 due to updates in data. The earthquake's epicenter was also corrected several times, with the final location being 1.6 kilometers towards the southeast of the initial estimate. The estimated seismic energy released by the earthquake was approximately 2 x 10^12 joules, equivalent to about 554 megawatt hours or 477 tons of TNT.

The earthquake occurred during a period of light intensity shower rain and a temperature of 13.1°C (56°F) with 100% humidity and winds of 6 meters per second from the south. The nearest volcano to the epicenter is Piratkovsky, located 34 kilometers away.

The earthquake was reported by 18 users, with 17 indicating that they felt the shaking. The majority of reports came from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy, with additional reports from Yelizovo and Vilyuchinsk. The earthquake was also reported by various seismic agencies, including GFZ, EMSC, and RENASS, with slight differences in the reported magnitude and epicenter location.

The earthquake occurred in an area with an average of 3.7 earthquakes per year of magnitude 5 or higher. The nearest larger town where the quake might have been felt is Vilyuchinsk, with a population of 25,000 inhabitants. People in Vilyuchinsk likely experienced weak shaking.

References:

[1] https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/earthquakes/quake-info/22034302/quake-felt-Aug-8-2025-Near-Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy-Kamchatka-Russia.html