Strong M6.1 earthquake hits off the east coast of Kamchatka, Russia
A strong earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.1 hit off the east coast of Kamchatka, Russia at 16:07 UTC on October 3, 2025. The agency is reporting a depth of 17.4 km (10.8 miles). EMSC is reporting the same magnitude and depth.
Epicenter of M6.1 earthquake near the coast of Kamchatka, Russia on October 3, 2025. Credit: TW/SAM, Google
The epicenter was located 173 km (107 miles) SE of Vilyuchinsk (population 25 204) and 178 km (111 miles) SSE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (population 181 216).
About 256 000 people are estimated to have felt weak shaking.
There is no tsunami threat from this earthquake.
The USGS issued a Green alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. There is a low likelihood of casualties and damage. Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are moderately resistant to earthquake shaking.
This is yet another aftershock of the tsunami-producing M8.8 earthquake on July 29, 2025. That quake generated a Pacific-wide tsunami and ranked as the sixth strongest earthquake ever recorded instrumentally. The event ruptured a large portion of the Kuril–Kamchatka subduction zone, with ground displacement recorded across southern Kamchatka.
Satellite and geodetic data indicate that southern Kamchatka shifted horizontally by up to 2 m (6.6 feet) during the rupture. The deformation was widespread, with coastal subsidence and uplift altering local topography. Such large-scale displacements are consistent with megathrust events of this magnitude.
The tsunami generated by the earthquake was observed across the Pacific basin. Amplitudes reached 2.7 m (8.9 feet) at Ust-Kamchatsk and 2.4 m (7.9 feet) at Nikolskoye on the Commander Islands. In Japan, tide gauges recorded waves up to 0.4 m (1.3 feet), while Hawaii registered minor fluctuations. Despite the wide distribution, the most severe effects were confined to the Russian Far East.
Since the July 29 rupture, the region has experienced multiple strong aftershocks, including a powerful M7.8 earthquake on September 18, 2025, which again triggered hazardous tsunami warnings.
The Kuril–Kamchatka trench is one of the world’s most seismically active subduction zones. Historical records include the 1952 M9.0 Kamchatka earthquake and tsunami, which caused widespread damage and fatalities across the Pacific.
Estimated population exposure to earthquake shaking
Selected cities exposed
Regional seismicity
References:
1 M6.1 earthquake off the east coast of Kamchatka, Russia – USGS – October 3, 2025
2 M6.1 earthquake off the east coast of Kamchatka, Russia – EMSC – October 3, 2025
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