A powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck off Russia’s coast on Thursday, briefly triggering a tsunami advisory for Alaska’s Aleutian Islands before it was cancelled.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the quake occurred at 11 a.m. Alaska time, about 90 miles east of Petropavlovsk, Kamchatka. In Indian Standard Time, it was 12:30 a.m. Friday. By 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2:30 a.m. IST), the USGS cancelled the tsunami advisory.
The advisory had been issued for the stretch from Amchitka Pass to Attu, around 125 miles west of Adak in Alaska. The National Weather Service said there was no risk of a destructive tsunami along the US West Coast or Canada. Hawaii was also excluded, according to the US Tsunami Warning Center.
Earlier this week, a 5.2-magnitude earthquake struck the same region, but it did not prompt any tsunami alerts.
Tsunami advisories are considered lower-tier warnings. They mean that small waves or strong currents could reach affected areas. While major damage is unlikely, beaches and harbors may face minor flooding.
Scientists believe Thursday’s quake was likely an aftershock of the massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake that hit Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on July 29. That event triggered tsunami alerts across much of the Pacific Ocean, forcing some Hawaiians to evacuate. The warning was later lifted. Small tsunami waves reached Hawaii and the US West Coast, but no significant damage was reported.
The USGS estimates the financial impact of the July 29 quake to be between $10 million and $1 billion, though most of the destruction remained localised.
Earthquakes of this scale, as well as underwater volcanic eruptions, can create tsunamis. These waves are larger than normal ocean swells and can cause widespread devastation.