A powerful earthquake struck off Russia’s Far East coast on Tuesday, triggering a Tsunami warning across the Pacific. According to the US Geological Survey, the quake reached a magnitude of 8.8 and occurred near the Kamchatka Peninsula.
The epicenter lay beneath the ocean off the Peninsula’s eastern coastline, deep in the Pacific’s volatile seismic zone. Shortly after the earthquake, tsunami warnings rippled across Pacific nations, including the United States.
Authorities in Hawaii and Alaska quickly received alerts from the US Tsunami Warning Center, which is based in Palmer, Alaska. In Alaska, officials issued a tsunami warning specifically for sections of the Aleutian Islands.
These remote islands stretch westward into the Bering Sea, linking mainland Alaska to the Russian Far East. The Tsunami Warning Center also issued a tsunami advisory for other parts of southern Alaska, including coastal areas from Chignik Bay to Unimak Pass.
Additional portions of the Aleutian chain remain under advisory status until further notice. A tsunami advisory means powerful currents and unusual waves could strike coastlines and prove dangerous to swimmers or boaters.
