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M7.7 Earthquake near Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia — 13 September 2025

A major earthquake of magnitude 7.7 was recorded near Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia on , with an epicentre 120 km east of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, at a focal depth of 10.0 km. It was the strongest of the 179 earthquakes recorded in Russia in the preceding 30 days.

7.7 Major

Time (UTC): 2025-09-13 02:37:52

Time (your timezone): —

Magnitude: 7.7 (major)

Focal depth: 10.0 km (shallow)

Epicentre: 53.0360, 160.4170

Location: 120 km E of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia

Country: Russia

USGS link to NOAA tsunami information: Available

Review status: Reviewed

Source: USGS event page

How strong was this earthquake?

Major earthquakes cause serious damage across wide regions and are capable of destroying buildings that were not designed for seismic loading. Events at this size frequently trigger long aftershock sequences lasting months.

A magnitude 7.7 earthquake radiates roughly 5.4 million tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 912, which meets 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 13:19 local solar time at the epicentre, around midday.

This event was shallower than 100% of the 1,906 earthquakes recorded in Russia in our catalogue and stronger than 100% of them.

Where was the epicentre?

The epicentre was located at 53.0360, 160.4170 — 120 km east of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 4.4 earthquake 12 km east-southeast of here on 19 June 2026.

The nearest other settlements in our records are Mil’kovo (118 km northwest), Atlasovo (169 km north-northeast) and Ozernovskiy (249 km south-southwest).

Why the 10 km depth matters

At 10 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 produce strong, widely felt shaking. 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 event record links to NOAA tsunami information because this was a large event in an oceanic region. That link flag does not mean a tsunami occurred or that a warning is active. Check tsunami.gov and instructions from your local authority for the current status of your coastline.

How earthquakes generate tsunamis, and what the alert levels mean →

Aftershocks and local seismic history

108 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 7.8.

1187 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 M7.7 event released about 32 times less energy than that event.

330 earthquakes have been recorded within 100 km of this epicentre in the past year, 39 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 September 2025 worldwide record, and of earthquakes in Russia during September 2025. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.

Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre

Other recent earthquakes in Russia

All recorded earthquakes in Russia →

Other magnitude 7 earthquakes worldwide

All magnitude 7 earthquakes →

Questions about this earthquake

How strong was the earthquake near Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky?

It measured magnitude 7.7 — a major earthquake. A magnitude 7.7 earthquake radiates roughly 5.4 million tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

How deep was the earthquake near Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky?

The focus was 10 km below the surface, which counts as shallow.

Was the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky earthquake felt at the surface?

At magnitude 7.7 and a focal depth of 10 km, shaking would have been concentrated near the epicentre.

When did the earthquake near Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky happen?

13 September 2025 at 02:37 UTC.

Was there a tsunami?

The USGS record carries a link to NOAA tsunami information for this event. That is not a warning: check your regional tsunami warning centre for any live alert.

Have there been aftershocks?

108 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 7.8.

How often do earthquakes happen near Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky?

1187 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 M7.7 event released about 32 times less energy than that event.