6.4

M6.4 Earthquake 88 km SSE of Sovetskaya Gavan’, Russia — November 30, 2020

2020-11-30 22:54:34 UTC (2020-11-30) · approx. 7:54 AM UTC+9 local

Felt by 2 people across nearby locations.

MagnitudeM6.4(mww)
Time22:54 UTC≈ 7:54 AM UTC+9
Depth589.0 kmdeep-focus
Coordinates48.252°, 140.797°
Felt by2DYFI responses· max MMI 2.0
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS· green PAGER
green Alert— no significant casualties or damage expected

On November 30, 2020 at 22:54 UTC, a magnitude 6.4 deep-focus earthquake struck 88 km SSE of Sovetskaya Gavan’, Russia, at a depth of 589.0 km and coordinates 48.2521°, 140.7971°. The earthquake was reported felt by 2 peopleacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 2.0 (weak). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. The nearest populated place is Krasnogorsk (population 3,304).

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 6.4 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 60 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 16 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

Krasnogorskpop. 3,304
MMI 1.9 (weak)
Zavety Il'ichapop. 9,144
MMI 1.8 (weak)
Sovetskaya Gavan'pop. 29,740
MMI 1.8 (weak)
Vaninopop. 18,618
MMI 1.8 (weak)
Lososinapop. 3,151
MMI 1.8 (weak)
Mayskiypop. 2,883
MMI 1.8 (weak)
Map showing earthquake epicenter at 48.25°, 140.80°

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.

USGS ShakeMap intensity contours for the M6.4 earthquake near 88 km SSE of Sovetskaya Gavan’, Russia

Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS

Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking

Aggregated felt-report intensity from 2 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.

USGS DYFI community-reported intensity map for the M6.4 earthquake near 88 km SSE of Sovetskaya Gavan’, Russia

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)DescriptionPopulation exposed

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
6.4 mww
Depth
589.0 km
deep-focus
Location
48.2521°N
140.7971°E
Felt Reports
2
DYFI responses
Intensity (MMI)
2.0
weak
Community Intensity
3.4
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
us7000clbu
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
631
Azimuthal Gap
26.0°
Min Station Distance
1.854°
RMS Residual
0.94 sec
Last Updated
2025-12-22 18:46:18 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 6.4 earthquake near Sovetskaya Gavan’, Russia?

The magnitude 6.4 earthquake that struck 88 km SSE of Sovetskaya Gavan’, Russia on November 30, 2020 at 22:54 UTC had a depth of 589.0 km. It was felt by 2 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 2.0 (weak). For context, this was a strong earthquake capable of causing significant damage.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at 48.2521°, 140.7971°, which is 88 km SSE of Sovetskaya Gavan’, Russia. The nearest populated place is Krasnogorsk (population 3,304). View all earthquakes in Russia.

Were there aftershocks?

Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 6.4 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 6.4 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000clbu). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, November 30, 2020). M6.4 Earthquake 88 km SSE of Sovetskaya Gavan’, Russia — November 30, 2020. Retrieved December 22, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000clbu/