The strongest earthquakes in Kamchatka when they occurred?

Kamchatka is a beautiful and mysterious land in the Russian Far East. It is often mentioned in everyday life when describing distant objects. For example, all students know that the last desks in the class are called "Kamchatka". However, this region is rich in sights. It is constantly developing, and tourists come here. Although many are frightened by rare, but strong earthquakes in Kamchatka.

Description of the region

The peninsula of Kamchatka is washed by the waters of the Sea of Okhotsk from the west and the Bering Sea from the east. With the mainland it is connected by a very thin isthmus, the width of which in some places is less than 100 km. The eastern part is very washed out, due to which deep bays and gulfs were formed. Here is the same name of Kamchatka, which is a subject of the Russian Federation.

Seismic situation

The region as a whole is quite stable, but an earthquake off the coast of Kamchatka is not uncommon. It belongs to one of the seismically active zones on the territory of the Russian Federation, but experts always closely monitor the activity of the earth's crust and try to warn the population of the peninsula in advance about possible tremors. As a rule, all earthquakes occur at a distance of 30 to 150 kilometers east of the peninsula. However, sometimes the tremors are so powerful that they are strongly felt on the surface of the edge. In addition, such underwater earthquakes are fraught with strong waves and tsunami.

The history knows that the consequences of the earthquake in Kamchatka can be very serious, therefore, the specialists of the Ministry of Emergency Situations and the leadership of the region are seriously approaching the work on preventing the population about possible earthquakes.

Geography

Many rivers flow along the peninsula, one of them, the same name of Kamchatka, is even suitable for navigation. These rivers are well known to rafters. Many fans of this extreme sport come here.

There are also many picturesque lakes, most of which are of tectonic origin. They were formed as a result of a shift in the tectonic plates of our planet. One of the consequences is probably the earthquake in Kamchatka.

One of the most famous places on Kamchatka is the Valley of Geysers, which is on the list of seven wonders of Russia. Because of the largest landslide for several years, geysers ceased to exist, and many scientists said that more this natural phenomenon will not be revived. But fortunately, this is not so. Strong precipitation washed away the layers of mud from the mudflows and now many believe that the geysers have even become larger than before this natural cataclysm.

Volcanoes

Volcanoes are one of the main attractions of the region. I must say that the difficulties arise even with the definition of their quantity in the territory of Kamchatka. In different sources, the figures vary from a few hundred to a thousand volcanoes.

About three dozen of them are very active and throw into the air a huge amount of volcanic ash. Earthquakes in Kamchatka are often the result of active volcanic activity.

The highest of them is Klyuchevskaya Sopka. Its height reaches 4750 m above sea level.

Earthquakes of the XVIII-XIX centuries

The first recorded earthquake in the records of historians and researchers of the region dates from October 1737. Judging by the description, then the tsunami waves were observed. Unfortunately, there is little written evidence of those events, as the region has just begun to develop.

At the end of the XVIII century earthquakes in Kamchatka resumed, as indicated in the entry in the eponymous catalog of the Russian Empire.

Since then there was little research, about these natural phenomena in the years 1791-1792 diverge. Some scientists believe that it was two different, unrelated earthquakes. And some argue that it was a push from one strong. This fact, however, refutes the absence of any record of the tsunami wave, which should have been formed from the tremors of such a force.

About the middle of the XIX century there was another strong earthquake. On the spring morning of May 18, 1841, the maximum magnitude of the tremors was 8.4, and lasted about 15 minutes. There were recorded various damage to buildings, in some of them windows were broken. Also, scientists described the multiple ups and downs of the water level in the sea.

XX century

The last century did not bring any special surprises - it was calmer in Kamchatka. February 3, 1923, the first major earthquake occurred, resulting in a wave of 8 meters high. There are data on several victims of the disaster. Two months later it was repeated, but with a little less force of magnitude.

The middle of the 20th century was marked by one of the most powerful and destructive earthquakes in Kamchatka. November 5, 1952 was the date of a modern catastrophe that claimed the lives of thousands of civilians and wiped out the whole city of North Kurilsk. The epicenter of the earthquake was only 20 kilometers from the shore of the Kamchatka peninsula. The strength was such that an enormous tsunami wave almost instantly grew. Its height was 18 meters. The earthquake itself, though powerful, did not cause catastrophic destruction. The whole tragedy was played out because of the strength of the water.

After the first wave, the frightened residents left their homes. After the withdrawal of water, they began to return. And it was this that became a fatal mistake. About 20 minutes after the first wave came another, much more powerful and destructive. It was she who caused the majority of human casualties. After her came another, but she was weak.

This tragedy was the main reason for the formation of a central tsunami warning system in the country.

Recent earthquakes

At the beginning of the XXI century Kamchatka continues to suffer from seismic activity. In 2006, another earthquake occurred, but thanks to timely information of the population, victims were avoided. It took an emergency evacuation of about 1,000 residents.

The last earthquake in Kamchatka occurred 10 years ago, in winter 2016. Scientists have recorded an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.3, which is a very high value. The earthquake in Kamchatka on January 30 scared many residents who hurriedly left their homes, fearing their destruction. The buildings trembled tremendously, things and books fell from the shelves. Rescuers consider luck that the earthquake in Kamchatka on 30.01 occurred in the middle of the day. The sensors recorded the first shocks at 15:25 local time. In Moscow at this time it was early morning - 6:25.

The earthquake in Kamchatka on January 30, 2016 occurred at a distance of about 100 km from the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and at a depth of almost 200 km.
After the end of the tremors, the specialists inspected the buildings carefully for cracks. Fortunately, victims and victims are not registered.