M7.0 Earthquake 102 km E of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia — August 17, 2024
2024-08-17 19:10:26 UTC (2024-08-17) · approx. 6:10 AM UTC+11 local
Felt by 18 people across nearby locations. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 6.2 (very strong).
On August 17, 2024 at 19:10 UTC, a magnitude 7.0 shallow crustal earthquake struck 102 km E of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia, at a depth of 29.0 km and coordinates 52.9308°, 160.1331°. The earthquake was reported felt by 18 peopleacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 6.2 (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 146 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 766, making it a moderate-impact event. The nearest populated place is Paratunka (population 1,767).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 7.0 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 477 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 41 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 18 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 3 | weak | 166 |
| MMI 4 | light | 63,200 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 210,881 |
| MMI 6 | strong | 453 |
Earthquake Details
160.1331°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 7.0 earthquake near Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia?
The magnitude 7.0 earthquake that struck 102 km E of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia on August 17, 2024 at 19:10 UTC had a depth of 29.0 km. It was felt by 18 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 6.2 (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 52.9308°, 160.1331°, which is 102 km E of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia. The nearest populated place is Paratunka (population 1,767). View all earthquakes in Russia.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 7.0 earthquakes can continue for months to years 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 7.0 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000n7n8). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2024, August 17, 2024). M7.0 Earthquake 102 km E of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia — August 17, 2024. Retrieved September 18, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000n7n8/