M5.0 Earthquake near Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia — 30 July 2025, 20:02 UTC
A moderate earthquake of magnitude 5.0 was recorded near Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia on , with an epicentre 124 km southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, at a focal depth of 36.2 km. It ranked as the 114th strongest of 340 earthquakes recorded in Russia in the preceding 30 days.
Time (UTC): 2025-07-30 20:02:21
Time (your timezone): —
Magnitude: 5.0 (moderate)
Focal depth: 36.2 km (shallow)
Epicentre: 52.1985, 159.7920
Location: 124 km SE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia
Country: Russia
USGS link to NOAA tsunami information: Not linked
Review status: Reviewed
Source: USGS event page
How strong was this earthquake?
Moderate earthquakes can damage poorly built or unreinforced structures near the epicentre, while well-engineered buildings typically escape serious harm. Shaking is often strong enough to wake sleeping residents over a wide area.
A magnitude 5.0 earthquake radiates roughly 477 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 385, which is below the USGS threshold of more than 600 for its significant-earthquake list. The ranking combines magnitude with available Did You Feel It responses and PAGER alert level; it is not a direct measurement of damage.
What the magnitude scale actually measures →
When it happened locally
That is about 06:41 local solar time at the epicentre, around dawn.
This event was deeper than 69% of the 1,906 earthquakes recorded in Russia in our catalogue and stronger than 72% of them.
Where was the epicentre?
The epicentre was located at 52.1985, 159.7920 — 124 km southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 4.6 earthquake 26 km east-southeast of here on 06 August 2026.
The nearest other settlements in our records are Mil’kovo (192 km north) and Ozernovskiy (196 km south).
Why the 36 km depth matters
At 36 km this was a shallow earthquake. Shallow events release their energy close to the surface, so for a given magnitude they produce noticeably stronger shaking — and more damage — than deeper ones. Roughly three quarters of all earthquakes worldwide occur at shallow depths.
This catalogue does not ingest eyewitness responses, so it cannot confirm where this earthquake was felt. Based on magnitude alone, an event this size can be felt widely and may cause minor local damage. Its shallow focus makes stronger surface shaking more likely than for a deeper event of the same magnitude.
Read more on how focal depth changes what you feel →
What does the tsunami information flag mean?
The USGS record does not carry a link to NOAA tsunami information. That field is not an all-clear and does not state whether a tsunami occurred. In this case, a damaging tsunami would be less likely because at M5.0 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; it occurred inland rather than beneath the sea floor. For an active coastal alert, use tsunami.gov or your local warning authority.
How earthquakes generate tsunamis, and what the alert levels mean →
Aftershocks and local seismic history
200 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 6.0.
1321 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 8.7 event near Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky on 29 July 2025. This M5.0 event released about 354,813 times less energy than that event.
167 earthquakes have been recorded within 100 km of this epicentre in the past year, 158 of them in the past 30 days.
How long aftershock sequences last, and how large they get →
Where this event sits in the record
This earthquake is part of the July 2025 worldwide record, and of earthquakes in Russia during July 2025. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.
Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre
- M4.6 earthquake near Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia — (26 km ESE)
- M4.7 earthquake near Vilyuchinsk, Russia — (49 km SSW)
- M4.7 earthquake near Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia — (52 km ESE)
- M4.3 earthquake near Vilyuchinsk, Russia — (59 km SE)
- M5.0 earthquake near Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia — (60 km E)
- M4.1 earthquake near Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia — (64 km ESE)
- M4.3 earthquake near Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia — (65 km E)
- M4.9 earthquake near Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia — (65 km E)
- M4.6 earthquake near Vilyuchinsk, Russia — (71 km S)
- M6.6 earthquake near Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia — (77 km E)
Other recent earthquakes in Russia
- M4.5 earthquake near Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia —
- M4.6 earthquake near Vilyuchinsk, Russia —
- M5.5 earthquake near Kuril’sk, Russia —
- M4.6 earthquake near Kuril’sk, Russia —
- M4.5 earthquake near Vilyuchinsk, Russia —
- M4.0 earthquake near Terney, Russia —
- M4.6 earthquake near Kuril’sk, Russia —
- M4.2 earthquake near Kuril’sk, Russia —
- M5.0 earthquake near Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia —
- M4.5 earthquake near Vilyuchinsk, Russia —
Other magnitude 5 earthquakes worldwide
- M4.9 earthquake near South Sandwich Islands region —
- M4.9 earthquake near Sola, Vanuatu —
- M4.8 earthquake near Tual, Indonesia —
- M5.1 earthquake near South Sandwich Islands region —
- M4.9 earthquake near Puerto Chacabuco, Chile —
- M4.9 earthquake near Isangel, Vanuatu —
- M4.9 earthquake near Sola, Vanuatu —
- M5.1 earthquake near Merizo Village, Guam —
Questions about this earthquake
How strong was the earthquake near Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky?
It measured magnitude 5.0 — a moderate earthquake. A magnitude 5.0 earthquake radiates roughly 477 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
How deep was the earthquake near Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky?
The focus was 36 km below the surface, which counts as shallow.
Was the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky earthquake felt at the surface?
At magnitude 5.0 and a focal depth of 36 km, shaking would have been concentrated near the epicentre.
When did the earthquake near Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky happen?
30 July 2025 at 20:02 UTC.
Was there a tsunami?
No. The USGS record carries no tsunami-information link for this event.
Have there been aftershocks?
200 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 6.0.
How often do earthquakes happen near Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky?
1321 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 8.7 event near Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky on 29 July 2025. This M5.0 event released about 354,813 times less energy than that event.