Russian earthquake felt 5,300 miles away in Vicksburg

VICKSBURG, Miss. (VDN) — A massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake off the Russian Kamchatka Peninsula on Tuesday sent seismic activity rippling more than 5,000 miles away, with instruments in Vicksburg detecting tremors, according to WLBT meteorologist Dave Roberts.

“Multiple seismometers in Mississippi registered the earthquake beginning at 6:36 p.m. Tuesday,” Roberts said in a statement. “It lasted 10 minutes. It took 12 minutes for seismic waves to reach Mississippi from the earthquake’s epicenter—5,300 miles away, off Russia’s coast.”

The Kamchatka Peninsula lies near the boundary of two tectonic plates—the Pacific Plate and the Okhotsk microplate. The denser Pacific Plate is sinking beneath the Okhotsk Plate. As it descends and melts, friction between the plates can cause them to stick. When that tension is suddenly released, it creates what’s known as a megathrust earthquake.

Tsunami warnings were issued for Japan and large portions of the western United States and Hawaii, but have since been canceled or downgraded to advisories and watches.

California’s Humboldt and Del Norte counties received the most severe warnings in the state. Crescent City recorded waves reaching approximately 3.5 feet, according to the Los Angeles Times.

While no major damage or casualties have been reported, officials across the Pacific region are remaining cautious. The island nation of Samoa, located roughly 8,700 miles from the epicenter, remains under a tsunami watch.

“As a precautionary measure, the tsunami watch remains in effect for Samoa. The public is advised to stay away from coastal areas and continue to follow official updates,” the Samoa Meteorological Service said in a statement. “This watch will remain active until more information becomes available or the threat is officially cleared.”