Huge Earthquake in Pacific Causes Tsunamis and Volcanic Eruption
On Wednesday, an 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck eastern Russia, posing a risk of a tsunami in Japan and Hawaii, and potentially triggering the eruption of the Klyuchevskoy volcano.
Two million people have been told to evacuate in Japan and Hawaii because of tsunami risk. The tsunamis can potentially cause damage to cities that are near the coast, and alerts have been sent as far south as New Zealand and Chile.
The earthquake hit at 11:25 local time in the Kamchatka Peninsula. Then, there were four-meter-high waves and then coastal flooding in the peninsula. Japan recorded waves 60 centimeters high off its north coast, and people in Hawaii have been told to move to higher ground. In California, people were warned to stay away from beaches.
A few hours after the earthquake, the Klyuchevskoy volcano erupted. It is now tied for the sixth-largest eruption ever recorded. Lava shot out as high as 1.9 miles above the surface, and observers reported “explosions and visible streams of lava on the volcano’s western slopes.”
Scientists have been predicting the stratovolcano eruption for weeks. The Klyuchevskoy volcano last erupted in 2023. “Located in the Kamchatka region, Klyuchevskoy stands at 4,750 meters (15,584 feet) … The volcano is situated approximately 280 miles, or 450 kilometers, north of the regional capital of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky,” Newsweek said.
No injuries have been reported so far because of the tsunamis or earthquakes. Dr. Amy Gilligan, a seismologist from the University of Aberdeen, says that we are lucky not to have any casualties from an earthquake this size.
This might have been because people in Hawaii and Japan had a few hours of warning in advance so that they could get to safety.
Gilligan said that people in Hawaii received an alert on their phones saying that they had a few hours before a tsunami could strike. Japan’s buildings are stronger because they have had many earthquakes and can “withstand some of the big shaking you might get.”