Massive Earthquake in Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula Triggers Chain Eruption of Seven Volcanoes | WPN World People News

On July 30, a powerful magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck Russia’s Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula, ranking as the sixth-strongest earthquake ever recorded globally. The quake caused dramatic crustal deformation and a rare natural phenomenon: a "chain eruption" of seven volcanoes. According to observations by the Russian Academy of Sciences, parts of the southern epicentral region shifted nearly 2 meters (about 6.5 feet) southeast, an intensity comparable to the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.

The earthquake was caused by the collision and locking of the Eurasian and Pacific tectonic plates, releasing pressure that had built up over many years. This led to a massive horizontal displacement at the southern tip of the peninsula. Scientists noted that this event is a classic example of the "elastic rebound theory," where intense plate movement can cause the Earth's surface to shift several meters in an instant. Preliminary measurements recorded a maximum displacement of approximately 6.5 feet (around 2 meters), far exceeding the normal annual rate of movement, which is typically about 1.5 centimeters. Such crustal changes are expected to continue for days or even weeks until tectonic activity stabilizes.

The earthquake-induced crustal ruptures and pressure release also triggered simultaneous volcanic activity. The Institute of Volcanology and Seismology at the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Far East Branch reported that seven volcanoes in the Kamchatka region erupted one after another following the quake. This marks the first time in nearly 300 years that such a large-scale and rare volcanic awakening has occurred in the area—almost like a “parade of volcanic eruptions.”