Massive 8.8 Magnitude Earthquake Off Russia Sparks Pacific-Wide Tsunami Warnings

An 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck near Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula at around 11:25 a.m. local time (00:25 a.m. BST) on Wednesday, triggering tsunami warnings across the Pacific Ocean.

Authorities in Japan, Russia, and parts of the US west coast have ordered millions to evacuate. Tsunami alerts were also issued in China, the Philippines, Indonesia, New Zealand, Peru, and Mexico.

Damage and Immediate Impact

Video footage from Severo-Kurilsk, Russia, shows large waves flooding the town, damaging a port and fish processing plant, and sweeping vessels from their moorings. The Sakhalin region experienced power outages due to grid damage.

In Japan, about 1.9 million people were urged to evacuate and seek higher ground, with some sheltering on rooftops in Hokkaido. Hawaiian officials warned of possible 10-foot waves, though Governor Josh Green noted no significant waves have yet been observed.

Forecast and Potential Impact

Experts continue to refine tsunami forecasts. Chris Goldfinger, Professor of Marine Geology at Oregon State University, explained that the impact will vary greatly by location, with areas southeast of the epicenter expected to be most affected.

The tsunami is estimated to take eight to nine hours to reach the US west coast.

Timeline of Events

The earthquake struck at 11:25 a.m. local time on Wednesday. Tsunami waves are expected to reach parts of British Columbia and California around 12:20 a.m. local time, with waves arriving in Nome, Alaska, by 3:20 a.m.

Helen Janiszewski, assistant professor at the University of Hawaii, noted that tsunami waves travel at speeds comparable to jet planes, meaning travel times can be roughly estimated by flight durations from the epicenter.

Comparison to Past Earthquakes

The US Geological Survey reported the quake was shallow, at 19.3 km depth, located 119 km east-southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Initially recorded as magnitude 8.0, it was later revised to 8.8, with strong aftershocks following.

This quake ranks as the sixth most powerful recorded, alongside the 2010 Biobío, Chile, and 1906 Esmeraldas, Ecuador earthquakes. The 1952 Kamchatka quake, the world’s first recorded magnitude 9 earthquake, ranks fifth.

For context, the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, which killed over 227,000 people, measured 9.2-9.3 in magnitude.

"The tsunami impact varies widely depending on location, with the greatest threat southeast of the Kamchatka epicenter as waves continue to travel across the Pacific."

This topic was reported by BBC News.

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