M6.8 Earthquake 123 km E of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia — August 3, 2025
2025-08-03 05:37:55 UTC (2025-08-03) · approx. 4:37 PM UTC+11 local
Felt by 7 people across nearby locations. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 6.9 (very strong).
On August 3, 2025 at 05:37 UTC, a magnitude 6.8 shallow crustal earthquake struck 123 km E of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia, at a depth of 30.0 km and coordinates 50.5853°, 157.8643°. The earthquake was reported felt by 7 peopleacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 6.9 (very strong). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 117 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 717, making it a moderate-impact event. The nearest populated place is Severo-Kuril'sk (population 2,422).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 6.8 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 239 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 30 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
The epicenter is located in Russia, a region characterized by the Kuril-Kamchatka subduction zone on the northwestern Pacific Ring of Fire. The nearest mapped fault system is the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench. View all earthquakes in Russia.
Learn more: Magnitude scale · Aftershock sequences
Nearest Populated Places
ShakeMap — predicted shaking intensity
Modeled ground-motion intensity contoured on the Modified Mercalli scale (MMI). Computed by the USGS from the moment-tensor solution and regional ground-motion prediction equations.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 7 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report
Population exposure (USGS PAGER)
Estimated population that experienced each level of shaking. Based on the USGS PAGER rapid impact assessment, which combines ShakeMap output with global population grids.
| Shaking intensity (MMI) | Description | Population exposed |
|---|---|---|
| MMI 4 | light | 637 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 4,758 |
| MMI 6 | strong | 25 |
Earthquake Details
157.8643°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 6.8 earthquake near Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia?
The magnitude 6.8 earthquake that struck 123 km E of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia on August 3, 2025 at 05:37 UTC had a depth of 30.0 km. It was felt by 7 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 6.9 (very strong). For context, this was a strong earthquake capable of causing significant damage.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 50.5853°, 157.8643°, which is 123 km E of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia. The nearest populated place is Severo-Kuril'sk (population 2,422). View all earthquakes in Russia.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 6.8 earthquakes can continue for weeks to months and gradually diminish over time.
Has Russia had earthquakes this big before?
The largest recorded earthquake in Russia was the M9.0 Kamchatka earthquake of November 4, 1952. Today's magnitude 6.8 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000qxt4). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2025, August 3, 2025). M6.8 Earthquake 123 km E of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia — August 3, 2025. Retrieved October 17, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000qxt4/