Fire and megathrust in one place
One of the busiest subduction zones on the planet - quakes and volcanoes together.
Kamchatka is where the Pacific Plate plunges under the Russian Far East, producing great earthquakes, Pacific-wide tsunamis and a dense cluster of active volcanoes. It is one of the most seismically and volcanically active regions on Earth.
What is happening at Kamchatka and the Kuril Arc
Along the Kamchatka and Kuril trenches the fast-moving Pacific Plate subducts steeply, generating frequent large earthquakes and feeding dozens of active volcanoes above.
Great megathrust quakes here have sent tsunamis across the Pacific. The same subduction that shakes the peninsula builds volcanoes like Klyuchevskoy, among the most active anywhere.
The hazard record here
THE RECORD HERE
A magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck here in 1952.
Epicentre: 89 km ESE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia.
Live figures from the QuakeMate hazard API - USGS earthquake catalog, NOAA tsunami database and published recurrence estimates. Some fields are blank where there is no record.
Recent earthquakes at Kamchatka and the Kuril Arc
- 5.1NEAR EAST COAST OF KAMCHATKA1 day ago · 30/07/2026, 21:53:24 · 60 km deep
- 5.167 km E of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia1 day ago · 30/07/2026, 21:53:26 · 64 km deep
- 4.062 km ENE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia3 weeks ago · 09/07/2026, 22:38:54 · 84 km deep
- 4.373 km ENE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia1 week ago · 19/07/2026, 19:29:01 · 74 km deep
- 4.3NEAR EAST COAST OF KAMCHATKA1 week ago · 19/07/2026, 19:29:01 · 74 km deep
- 4.777 km E of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia1 day ago · 30/07/2026, 22:24:47 · 64 km deep
50 more earthquakes at Kamchatka and the Kuril Arc
Open the QuakeMate app to see every quake here, sorted and mapped - plus real-time alerts when a new one strikes.
Notable events
5.4Recent2026M5.4 - OFF EAST COAST OF KAMCHATKA2 weeks ago · tap for full data1952
A M9.0 earthquake off Kamchatka sent a tsunami across the Pacific to Hawaii.
2025
A powerful Kamchatka megathrust earthquake triggered Pacific tsunami alerts.
What scientists watch
Russian and Pacific-wide networks monitor the trench for great quakes and issue ocean-wide tsunami warnings when they strike.
Staying ahead of it
Megathrust quakes here launch ocean-crossing tsunamis - the earliest warning protects coastlines thousands of kilometres away.
Get QuakeMate freeGet warned before the next one at Kamchatka and the Kuril Arc.
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Kamchatka and the Kuril Arc: common questions
Why is Kamchatka so active?
The Pacific Plate subducts rapidly beneath it, producing frequent great earthquakes and feeding one of the densest clusters of active volcanoes on Earth.
Can a Kamchatka earthquake cause a tsunami far away?
Yes. Great megathrust quakes here have sent tsunamis clear across the Pacific, which is why they trigger ocean-wide warnings within minutes.
Related hazard zones
Earthquake data via the QuakeMate API (USGS, EMSC and regional agencies). Historical notes summarise well-established events; magnitudes and dates follow the published record. Live figures may be revised.