Overview

• An 8.8-magnitude earthquake offshore Kamchatka struck early July 30 at a depth of 19.3 kilometers, causing building damage and injuries but no fatalities.
• Tsunami waves reached up to four meters on Kamchatka’s coast and up to five feet in San Francisco, prompting alerts from Japan to Chile before most were downgraded.
• Russian scientists confirmed hot lava descending the volcano’s western slope with powerful glows and explosions visible for miles.
• Monitoring agencies have recorded more than 90 aftershocks and maintained continuous seismic and volcanic surveillance while lifting or reducing warnings.
• The back-to-back quake and eruption underscore Kamchatka’s position on the Pacific Ring of Fire and the value of real-time early warning systems.