M6.9 Earthquake 76 km NE of Ozernovskiy, Russia — October 16, 2026
2026-10-16 03:35:31 UTC (2 hours ago) · approx. 1:35 PM UTC+10 local
Maximum shaking intensity MMI 5.6 (strong).
On October 16, 2026 at 03:35 UTC, a magnitude 6.9 intermediate depth earthquake struck 76 km NE of Ozernovskiy, Russia, at a depth of 135.0 km and coordinates 51.9848°, 157.2701°. The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 188 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 732, making it a moderate-impact event. The nearest populated place is Ust'-Bol'sheretsk (population 1,920).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 6.9 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 338 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 35 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
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 | 213,660 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 13,999 |
| MMI 6 | strong | 4 |
Earthquake Details
157.2701°E
Technical Information
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Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 6.9 earthquake near Ozernovskiy, Russia?
The magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck 76 km NE of Ozernovskiy, Russia on October 16, 2026 at 03:35 UTC had a depth of 135.0 km. For context, this was a strong earthquake capable of causing significant damage.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 51.9848°, 157.2701°, which is 76 km NE of Ozernovskiy, Russia. The nearest populated place is Ust'-Bol'sheretsk (population 1,920). View all earthquakes in Russia.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 6.9 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 6.9 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000u2mq). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2026, October 16, 2026). M6.9 Earthquake 76 km NE of Ozernovskiy, Russia — October 16, 2026. Retrieved October 16, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000u2mq/