A powerful earthquake, measuring 8.8 on the Richter scale, struck the coast of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula in the Far East on Wednesday. The quake caused widespread panic, prompting authorities to issue extensive tsunami warnings for a number of Pacific nations, including Japan, China, and the United States.
Dr. Abbas Sharaki, a professor of geology and water resources, confirmed that the earthquake occurred in the Pacific Ocean within an area known as the “Ring of Fire,” one of the most seismically and volcanically active regions in the world.
In a statement to Al-Masry Al-Youm, Sharaki added that the powerful quake generated tsunami waves that have already reached the coasts of several countries, such as Japan and the Philippines. He expects the waves to extend to other nations bordering the Pacific Ocean, including Indonesia, Australia, Canada, the United States, and the southwestern coasts of South America.
Sharaki affirmed that Egypt is completely unaffected by this earthquake, noting that the probability of a tsunami occurring in the Mediterranean Sea is extremely rare. A Mediterranean tsunami would require a powerful earthquake exceeding a magnitude of 6.5, along with specific geological conditions. He cited a historical event in 365 AD, when an 8-magnitude earthquake on the island of Crete caused a tsunami that devastated the city of Alexandria and contributed to the end of Roman civilization in the region.
Commenting on the earthquake’s impact on Egypt, Dr. Sherif El-Hady, Head of the Earthquake Department at the National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics, affirmed that the earthquake poses no threat to the country. He noted that its epicenter was located more than 9,300 kilometers from Egypt’s borders.
El-Hady added that the National Seismological Network has not detected any indicators of concern or alarm. He pointed out that the Mediterranean Sea rarely experiences tsunami waves, and only in very rare cases resulting from powerful earthquakes.
The earthquake that struck Russia on Wednesday had a depth of 18 kilometers and generated tsunami waves between 3 to 4 meters high. These waves have already reached some Russian coastal areas, including the town of Severo-Kurilsk, which is home to around 2,000 people. The tsunami caused material damage but there are no confirmed reports of casualties so far.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, this earthquake is considered the sixth most powerful earthquake in modern history, matching the intensity of the 2010 Chile earthquake and the 1906 Ecuador earthquake. This reflects the immense amount of energy that was released.
