The 8.8 magnitude earthquake that hit the peninsula of the Kamchatckain Russiaat 11:24 local (01:24 in Italy) of 29 July 2025 It is only the most recent of a series of very strong earthquakes that have affected the area in the last century. This is due to the geology of the territory, which makes the peninsula one of the most active areas of the planet from a thermal point of view. Kamchatcka is located in Subduction area of Curile-Kamchatkawhere the Pacific plate immerses itself under the okhotsk microplaccawhich is part of the North American plaque. Along this area, which belongs to the so -called Pacific fire belt, there is a fault which periodically triggers very strong earthquakes, such as that of magnitude 9.0 occurred in 1952 Always in Kamchatcka. To make the magnitude and frequency of the SISMI in this subduction area are particularly high are thelarge contact surface between plates and thehigh speed with which these move.
Because it is a high seismic risk area: the geological context
The Kamchatcka peninsula is located along thearc of the CUTI-KAMCHATKAan archipelago of volcanic islands whose training is linked to the sinking (subduction) of the Pacific plateconsisting of oceanic lithosphere, under the okhorsk microplaccaconsisting of continental lithosphere and belonging to the North American plaque. The Pacific plate moves north-west at a variable speed Between 76 and 90 mm/year. Sinking under the okhorsk plate, it forms the Oceanic pit of the curili-kamchatkaup to 10,500 m deep, and heats up and merges by generating a skill of magma on the seabed which over time originates volcanic islands. Along the edge between the two plates, at the interface between one and the other, there is one reverse fault which periodically triggers violent earthquakes (these faults along the contact surface between the plates take the name of “megathrust“). Over time, in fact, the continuous movement of the plates submits to enormous efforts the rocks present along their border, so they deform until the efforts exceed the breaking limit of the rocks. When this happens they occur SISMI also of great entity Since thecontact area between plates is very large. In the case of the earthquake of 29 July, the rupture surface along the fault could extend up to 400 km. In addition, earthquakes are in the area much more frequent than elsewhere due to the relatively high speed with which the plates converge.
The strongest earthquakes in Kamchatcka in history
In the last century Along the ocean fossa of the curili-kamchatka, more than the earthquake of 29 July, others have occurred 12 seismic events of magnitude greater than 7.5. The main ones among these earthquakes took place, from the least to the most recent, in:
- 1952: an estimated magnitude earthquake 9.0 struck Severo-Kurilsk, generating a tsunami with waves several meters high and causing over 2,300 deaths;
- 2006: an earthquake of magnitude 7.7 hit the eastern coast of Kamchatka, causing moderate damage;
- 2020: a 7.5 magnitude earthquake generated an extended tsunami alert, but with contained damage;
- 2025: The recent 8.8 event has reactivated the fear of the past, with waves of tsunami and alert throughout the Pacific.
As anticipated, many of these were accompanied by one tsunamias occurred for the earthquake of 29 July. The epicenter of the strongest earthquake, that of magnitude 9 of 1952was located about 40 km south-east of the past of the past few days. In the case of this event, the breaking surface along the margins between the plates reached 600 km. The earthquake was followed by a tsunami who crossed the whole Pacific also reaching the 10 m high at the Kamchatka coasts and causing thousands of victims. The seismic event of 1952, together with that of 29 July, was one of the ten strongest ever recorded on the planet In instrumental times. The earthquakes of the peninsula are distinguished, as well as by magnitude, also by frequency: only from 1990 to today have more than 700 earthquakes of magnitude greater than 5.
