Hawaii Confirms No Tsunami Threat After Powerful Kuril Islands Quake

Volcanic Activity Follows Significant Seismic Event in Russian Far East

Hawaii has been assured there is no tsunami risk following a substantial magnitude-7 earthquake that registered off Russia’s Kuril Islands on Sunday. The event has also coincided with a rare volcanic eruption in the same region.

No Immediate Danger for Pacific Islands

Oahu Emergency Management verified that the tremor posed no danger to Hawaii. The Pacific Tsunami Warning System also confirmed that no tsunami advisory had been issued for the islands.

Quake Magnitude and Russian Response

The US Geological Survey assessed the earthquake’s magnitude at 7.0. Meanwhile, the German Research Center for Geosciences placed it at 6.7, initially reporting 6.35 with a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles). Russia’s ministry for emergency services had previously indicated the possibility of tsunami waves along parts of the Kamchatka Peninsula, but authorities later rescinded the tsunami alert for the region.

The ministry stated on the Telegram messaging app, “The expected wave heights are low, but you must still move away from the shore,” following the recent seismic activity.

Historic Volcanic Eruption on Kamchatka

In a separate but related development, the Krasheninnikov Volcano on the Kamchatka Peninsula erupted for the first time in 600 years, as reported by Russia’s RIA state news agency and scientists on Sunday.

Echoes of Recent Major Quake and Tsunami Alerts

These incidents occur just days after an immense 8.8 magnitude earthquake in the same area prompted tsunami warnings that reached as far as Japan, Indonesia, Australia, the United States, and Chile. Russian scientists are investigating a potential link between the recent volcanic eruption and last week’s powerful earthquake.

Olga Girina, head of the Kamchatka Volcanic Eruption Response Team, was cited by Russian news agency RIA stating, “This is the first historically confirmed eruption of Krasheninnikov Volcano in 600 years.” She added that the eruption “may be connected to the earthquake on Wednesday,” which was followed by an eruption of Klyuchevskoy, Kamchatka Peninsula’s most active volcano.

Ash Plume Drifts Safely Eastward

Russia’s emergency services reported that an ash plume from Krasheninnikov ascended to 6,000 meters (3.7 miles) and drifted eastward over the Pacific Ocean, away from populated areas. “The ash cloud has drifted eastward, toward the Pacific Ocean. There are no populated areas along its path,” the ministry shared on Telegram. The eruption was assigned an orange aviation code, signaling an increased risk to aircraft.

The Kuril Islands form an archipelago extending from the southern tip of the Kamchatka Peninsula. Russian scientists had cautioned earlier in the week about the potential for strong aftershocks in the area over the coming weeks.