Magnitude 7.4 earthquake hits Kamchatka Peninsula, tsunami threat downgraded.

A magnitude-7.4 earthquake struck near Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula, prompting tsunami warnings for the region. However, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center later downgraded the warning, stating there was no danger of tsunami waves hitting the area. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. The quake was followed by smaller tremors, including a magnitude-6.7 quake. The German Research Center for Geosciences measured the initial quake at 6.6, and the second quake at 6.7.

A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck near the coast of Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula on Sunday, July 20, 2025, prompting tsunami warnings for the region. The earthquake, initially reported at a magnitude of 6.7 by the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) [1], was later updated to 7.4 by both GFZ and the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC). The quake occurred off the east coast of Kamchatka at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) [1].

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) initially issued a tsunami warning for the Kamchatka Peninsula and as far as the state of Hawaii in the United States. However, the warning was later downgraded, stating that there was no danger of major tsunami waves hitting the area. The PTWC initially reported that waves of up to 1 meter (3.3 feet) could occur, but this was later reduced [2].

The earthquake was followed by smaller tremors, including a magnitude 6.7 quake, which was recorded by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) [2]. The city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, with a population of over 163,152 people, was the closest major settlement to the epicenter [2].

There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. The Russian Emergencies Ministry issued a tsunami warning following the second quake, urging residents of coastal settlements to stay away from the shore [3]. The quake was not the first significant event in the region; a magnitude 9.0 quake in 1952 caused damage but no reported deaths and set off 9.1-meter (30-foot) waves in Hawaii [3].

References:

[1] https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/earthquake-74-magnitude-strikes-off-russias-kamchatka-region-tsunami-warning-2025-07-20/

[2] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/7/20/tsunami-alert-after-powerful-earthquakes-hit-russias-pacific-coast-2

[3] https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2025-07-20/tsunami-warning-after-2-large-quakes-off-russias-pacific-coast