Earthquake Of Magnitude 6.2 Strikes Russia’s Kuril Islands; Aftershocks Continue In Region

A 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck Russia’s Kuril Islands, just a week after the country experienced an 8.8 magnitude quake.

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A strong earthquake of magnitude 6.2 struck Russia’s Kuril Islands on Friday, as reported by the National Centre for Seismology (NCS).

The Earthquake occurred at 11:50 PM IST on August 1, at a depth of 32 kilometers below the Earth's surface.

According to NCS data, the earthquake's epicenter was located at a latitude of 50.19°N and a longitude of 159.14°E. So far, no casualties or damages have been reported from the region.

This quake is followed by a massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake that struck off the Russian coast earlier this week. That powerful quake is considered one of the strongest ever recorded, ranked in sixth place in terms of magnitude.

After that major earthquake, the region has experienced around 125 aftershocks of magnitude 4.4 or higher. Among these, three aftershocks were of magnitude 6.0 or greater. The strongest aftershock, measuring 6.9, occurred about 45 minutes after the main shock.

Another significant aftershock measuring 6.4 was recorded around 200 miles southwest of the main quake’s epicenter just before 11 a.m. local time on Wednesday.

Experts say aftershocks are usually strongest in the first few hours or days after the main earthquake and tend to decrease in strength and number over time.

Seismologists also noted that shallow earthquakes, like the recent ones, can cause more damage than deeper ones. This is because seismic waves from shallow quakes reach the surface quickly and shake the ground more violently.

Meanwhile, a tsunami alert that was issued for Hawaii following the massive earthquake near Russia has been cancelled. Earlier tsunami warnings for both the US coast and Japan have also been downgraded to advisories, as reported by CNN.