After an 8.8-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Russia’s Kamchatka peninsula, early tsunami warning systems kicked in and helped millions of people safely evacuate

At 11:24 am local time on July 30, 2025, a powerful earthquake struck offshore of the Kamchatka Peninsula, triggering a tsunami in the Pacific Ocean.

Russia’s magnitude 8.8 earthquake spawned serious tsunami warnings, but waves have been moderate so far. Here’s the geological reason why