“Europe and the Mediterranean Seismic Center” (EMSC) reported that a 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck the eastern part of the Kuril Islands in Russia on Saturday, August 9th. The earthquake had a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles), according to EMSC.
This is another earthquake to hit the Kuril Islands within a week. Previously, on August 3rd, the region experienced another quake. The German Research Center for Geosciences reported it as a 6.7-magnitude quake, while the United States Geological Survey reported a 7.0-magnitude earthquake in the area. The Pacific Tsunami Warning System also classified the earthquake as a 7.0 magnitude.
The Russian Far East region has been drawing attention due to frequent seismic activities, especially after a major earthquake on July 30th. An 8.8-magnitude earthquake hit the Kamchatka Peninsula, triggering tsunamis that affected a wide area of the Pacific Ocean. Japan and Hawaii issued evacuation warnings in response. Following the earthquake, the Klyuchevskaya Sopka, the most active volcano on the Kamchatka Peninsula, also erupted.
Subsequently, the Krasheninnikov Volcano on the Kamchatka Peninsula erupted on August 3rd, marking its first eruption in about 600 years. Olga Girina, head of the response team for volcanic eruptions in Kamchatka, suggested that this eruption could be linked to the strong earthquake on July 30th.
The earthquake in the Kuril Islands could also be related to the significant earthquake on July 30th. Russian experts had previously warned that there could be strong aftershocks in the weeks following the earthquake on July 30th.