Tsunami Warning Triggered in Panama Pacific after Magnitude 8 Earthquake off Russian Coast

Russia:  Following the strong earthquake in the Kamchatka region of Russia, the Institute of Geosciences at the University of Panama activated the national response protocol for potential tsunami threats, the National Civil Protection System (Sinaproc) reported this morning. A magnitude 4 earthquake was reported in southern Peru, which remains on tsunami alert. A magnitude 8 earthquake struck off Russia’s east coast on Tuesday, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported, triggering a tsunami warning in the Pacific Ocean.  The epicenter of the quake was located about 136 kilometers east of the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky on the Kamchatka Peninsula, at a depth of 19 kilometers, according to the USGS.  Japanese authorities have warned of the risk of a one-meter tsunami hitting their coast.  “Do not venture out to sea or approach the coast until the alert is lifted,” the meteorological authority warned.  The tsunami could hit the coasts of Russia and Japan “within the next three hours,” the US tsunami center wrote, also warning of the risk to parts of the Alaskan coast and the US island of Guam in the Pacific. 

On July 20, a magnitude 7.4 earthquake, followed by numerous aftershocks, struck the same area without causing significant damage.  The Kamchatka Peninsula is the meeting point of the Pacific and North American tectonic plates, making the region one of the most seismically active zones on the planet.  The Japanese meteorological agency raised its tsunami warning on Wednesday, noting that waves of up to three meters are expected. Waves are expected to hit Japan’s Pacific coast between 10:00 and 11:30 a.m. (01:00-02:30 GMT), the Japanese meteorological agency reported. The same warning has been issued for Hawaii.