The so-called Kuril-Kamchatka Arc, which extends some 2,100 km from Hokkaido, Japan along the Kuril Islands and the Pacific coast of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, is one of the most seismically active regions in the world also known as the Ring of Fire.
Prelim M6.1 Earthquake east of the Kuril Islands Mar-28 22:06 UTC, updates https://t.co/MUYT3hIiP8
— USGS Big Quakes (@USGSBigQuakes) 28 марта 2019 г.
According to the US Geologocal Survey, the epicenter of the quake — initially reported as a magnitude 6.5 — that struck east of the Kuril Islands on Friday morning local time, was 168 miles (270 km) east of the small town of Severo-Kurilsk. There have been no damages or casualties reported. The area is sparsely populated.
According to the Richter scale, earthquakes with a magnitude of 7.0- 7.9 are considered major and can cause severe damage. Quakes with a magnitude of 5.0-5.9 are considered to be moderate.
