How frequent are earthquakes in or near Kamchatka, Russia?

Kamchatka has a high level of seismic activity. Based on data from the past 25 years and our earthquake archive back to 1900, there are about 1,000 quakes on average per year in or near Kamchatka, Russia. Kamchatka has had at least 4 quakes above magnitude 8 since 1900, which suggests that larger earthquakes of this size occur infrequently, probably on average approximately every 30 to 35 years.

How many earthquakes occur every year in or near Kamchatka, Russia?

On average, Kamchatka has about 538 quakes of magnitude 3 or higher per year (Mag 4+: 245 quakes per year, Mag 5+: 20.4 quakes per year, Mag 6+: 2.9 quakes per year).

Volcanoes, Eruptions and Earthquakes in Kamchatka

Volcanoes of Kamchatka

Central Kamchatka Depression (8 volcanoes)

Southern Kamchatka (29 volcanoes)

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Significant volcanic eruptions: Kamchatka

In historic times, at least 22 volcanoes have been active in Kamchatka, including Karymsky, Klyuchevskoy, and Bezymianny volcanoes. A total of 335 eruptions have been witnessed and documented since around 1650 AD.
The table below lists the most recent volcanic eruptions, significant eruptive episodes or related events in Kamchatka since around 2010.

Date	Volcano	VEI	Region	Damage
1999 Aug 15 - ongoing	Shiveluch	4?	Kamchatka
2024 Jun 20 -	Karymsky	?	Kamchatka
2024 Aug 17 (eruption 1999 Aug 15 - ongoing)	Shiveluch	4	Kamchatka		Info
2024 Aug 17: An explosive eruption of the lava dome 300 years RAS of the Sheveluch volcano continues. Explosions sent ash up to 4.5-5 km a.s.l., and ash plume extended about 1520 km to the east-south-east from the volcano. Start time of explosion and how determined: 20240817/1145Z – Satellite data (reference #13823) According to media, as of 18 August, the strong earthquake triggered the eruption of the Shiveluch volcano causing an ash plume of 9,000m and an ashfall in the Ust-Kamchatsk village in the Ust-Kamchatsk district, in the eastern Kamchatka (Far Eastern Federal District). (reference #13819) The explosive eruption of the volcano probably ended, but extrusive eruptions from the two centers near the Karan lava dome (the lava domes 300 years of the RAS and a New) continues. Clouds obscured the volcano at now. Satellite data by KVERT shows a 1900 long ash cloud continues to drift to the east of the volcano, its front part at 19:20 UTS on 18 August was at a distance of more than 2400 km from the volcano. KVERT continues to monitor of the Sheveluch volcano. An extrusive eruption of Sheveluch volcano continues. (reference #13822) Cited references #13819 Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) (2024): ECHO Daily Flash, Russia - Earthquake and volcanic eruption. Published 19 August 2024. Link #13822 Kamchatka Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT) (2024): VONA/KVERT Information Release, August 18, 2024. KVERT, Institute of Volcanology and Seismology FEB RAS. (Issued at 2033Z). Link #13823 Kamchatka Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT) (2024): VONA/KVERT Information Release, August 17, 2024. KVERT, Institute of Volcanology and Seismology FEB RAS. (Issued at 0553Z). Link Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Global Significant Earthquake Database. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K
2022 Mar 15 - 2024 Aug 14 ±2 d.	Bezymianny Summit crater	?	Kamchatka
2023 Jun 22 - Dec 31	Klyuchevskoy	3	Kamchatka
2022 Nov 17 - Nov 25 ?	Klyuchevskoy	1	Kamchatka
2020 Apr 1 - 2022 Aug 7	Karymsky	3	Kamchatka
2019 Apr 9 - 2021 Mar 20	Klyuchevskoy	2	Kamchatka
2016 Dec 5 - 2021 Feb 1 ±15 d.	Bezymianny Summit crater	3	Kamchatka
2019 Feb 16 - Sep 24	Karymsky	2	Kamchatka
2017 Jun 4 - 2018 Sep 30	Karymsky Summit crater	3	Kamchatka
2018 Apr 28 - Sep 30	Karymsky	3	Kamchatka
2015 Aug 28 - 2018 Jul 14	Klyuchevskoy Summit crater	3	Kamchatka
2017 Mar 24 - Apr 23	Kambalny Summit crater	3	Kamchatka, Russia
2016 Nov 20	Zhupanovsky Priemysh Crater	2	Kamchatka, Russia
2016 Oct 5 - Oct 8	Karymsky Summit crater	2	Kamchatka
2001 Nov 15 - 2016 Apr 1	Karymsky Summit and upper south flank	3	Kamchatka
2015 Nov 28 - 2016 Mar 25	Zhupanovsky Priemysh Crater	?	Kamchatka, Russia
2014 Jun 6 - 2015 Aug 6	Zhupanovsky Priemysh Crater	3	Kamchatka, Russia
2015 Jan 1 - May 10	Klyuchevskoy Summit crater and multiple flanks	2	Kamchatka
2013 Aug 15 - Dec 20	Klyuchevskoy Summit crater and multiple flanks	3	Kamchatka
2013 Oct 23 - Oct 26	Zhupanovsky Summit crater	2	Kamchatka, Russia
2010 Nov 11 - 2013 Sep 13 ?	Kizimen SE flank fissure	3	Kamchatka
2012 Nov 27 - 2013 Sep 5 ±10 d.	Tolbachik Tolbachinsky Dol	3	Kamchatka
2012 Feb 12 - 2013 Jun 20	Bezymianny Summit crater	?	Kamchatka
2012 Sep 1 ? - 2013 Jan 28 ±3 d.	Klyuchevskoy Summit crater?	1	Kamchatka
2012 Dec 12 (eruption 2012 Nov 27 - 2013 Sep 5 ±10 d.)	Tolbachik	0	Kamchatka	light	Info
2012 Dec 12: A volcano in Russia's far eastern Kamchatka peninsula, which has been dormant since the 1970s, erupts, spewing lava and sending clouds of ash into the air. A crack about 5km long appeared on the slope of Plosky Tolbachik. The lava poured into a river valley, destroying a volcanologist research base and a tourist campsite, both of which were empty at the time. (reference #10366) After lava flows from the Plosky Tolbachik volcano blocked a rural road used by tourists visiting Kamchatka, emergency workers have organized patrols to prevent human casualties. According to Itar-Tass, the local branch of the Emergency Situations Ministry organized the patrols due to an influx of tourists and adventurers attracted by the volcanic eruption, which started Nov. 27 and has been ongoing ever since. No casualties have been reported so far, the report said, although lava flows have destroyed a tourist camp, a scientific outpost and a nearby wood. Emergency workers have said that they will continue the patrols "until the eruption stops," which could take at least a month, Interfax reported. (reference #10371) Weekly Report 12-18 December 2012. Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT) reported that the S fissure along the W side of Tolbachinsky Dol, a lava plateau on the SW side of Tolbachik, continued to produce very fluid lava flows that traveled 17-20 km during 7-17 December. Strong seismicity was detected. Ash plumes rose less than 1 km and drifted in multiple directions, and at least two cones grew above the fissure. A very large thermal anomaly on the N part of Tolbachinsky Dol was visible in satellite imagery. The Aviation Color Code remained at Orange. (reference #2432) Cited references #2432 Venzke, E., R.W. Wunderman, L. McClelland, T. Simkin, J.F. Luhr, L. Siebert, and G. Mayberry (eds.) (2002-): Global Volcanism, 1968 to the Present. Smithsonian Institution, Global Volcanism Program Digital Information Series, GVP-4 (http://www.volcano.si.edu/reports/). #10366 The Guardian (2012): Russian volcano erupts. Published December 19, 2012. #10371 The Moscow Times (2012): Emergency Workers Organize Patrols After Volcano Erupts. Published 11 December 11 2012, Issue 5032. Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Global Significant Earthquake Database. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K
2011 Mar 30 - Jul 3	Klyuchevskoy Summit crater?	2	Kamchatka
2010 May 21 - 2011 Apr 29	Bezymianny Summit crater	3	Kamchatka
2009 Aug 1 ? - 2010 Dec 20 ?	Klyuchevskoy	2	Kamchatka
2010 Jun 6 - Jun 22 ?	Gorely Summit crater	1	Southern Kamchatka
2009 Dec 17 - 2010 Feb 16 ?	Bezymianny	3?	Kamchatka

Remark:

Our list of volcanic eruptions closely follows the database of eruptions of the Smithsonian's Global Volcanism Project (GVP), the internationally most recognized data source for volcanic eruptions, but also includes significant eruptive episodes or related volcano events. "Volcanic eruptions" are usually to be understood as sequences of individual eruptive episodes that can follow each other, or even overlap (if several vents are involved), and can last many years, decades or even longer. For example, the current activity of Stromboli volcano is understood as a single eruption that has been ongoing since 1934.

Sources: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Global Significant Volcanic Eruptions Database. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K | Global Volcanism Project / Smithsonian Institution

Kamchatka FAQ

+When was the last volcanic eruption in Kamchatka?

The last volcanic eruption in Kamchatka was from Karymsky volcano in 2024.

+When was the first documented volcanic eruption in Kamchatka?

The first historically documented eruption occurred around 1650 AD from Mutnovsky volcano.

+How often do volcanoes in Kamchatka erupt?

Since 1650 AD, Kamchatka has seen at least 335 historically documented eruptions. This means that a volcano erupts on average every 1.1 years.

+How active are the volcanoes in Kamchatka?

Kamchatka is volcanically extremely active: Since 1900, at least 18 volcanoes in Kamchatka have been active. Almost every year, at least one volcano has erupted in Kamchatka. The last volcano to erupt in Kamchatka was Karymsky volcano, which erupted in 2024, 10 months ago.

+When was the largest volcanic eruption in Kamchatka?

The largest eruption in Kamchatka in historic times was from Bezymianny volcano. It occurred during 1955 - 1957. It ranks as a plinian eruption with a magnitude 5 on the VEI (Volcanic Explosivity Index) scale. Eruption of this size are often catastrophic on a regional scale.

Latest earthquakes: Kamchatka

In the past 7 days, Kamchatka was shaken by 4 quakes of magnitude 5.0 or above, 11 quakes between 4.0 and 5.0, and 3 quakes between 3.0 and 4.0.

A magnitude 5.1 hit North Pacific Ocean, Kamchatka, Russia .

Magnitude 5.1 Earthquake North Pacific Ocean, Kamchatka, Russia reported felt -

Date and Time	Mag / Depth	Nearest Volcano / Location
Oct 26, 08:15 am (Kamchatka)	4.5 56 km	63 km (39 mi) E of Vilyuchik	North Pacific Ocean, 72 km southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy, Kamchatka, Russia I FELT IT	Info
Oct 25, 09:13 pm (GMT +10)	5.3 47 km	55 km (34 mi) SE of Karpinsky	North Pacific Ocean, 54 km south of Ostrov Paramushir Island, Sakhalin Oblast, Russia I FELT IT - 5 reports	Info
Friday, October 24, 2025 GMT (2 quakes)
Oct 25, 03:45 am (Kamchatka)	4.5 57 km	83 km (52 mi) E of Zhupanovsky	North Pacific Ocean, 118 km east of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy, Kamchatka, Russia I FELT IT	Info
Oct 24, 09:39 pm (GMT +12)	4.6 20 km	104 km (65 mi) E of Vysoky	Near East Coast of Kamchatka I FELT IT	Info
Thursday, October 23, 2025 GMT (2 quakes)
Oct 23, 01:53 pm (GMT +11)	4.6 51 km	161 km (100 mi) SE of Piratkovsky	North Pacific Ocean, 160 km south of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy, Kamchatka, Russia I FELT IT	Info
Oct 23, 01:31 pm (GMT +11)	5.6 10 km	148 km (92 mi) SE of Piratkovsky	191 km SSE of Vilyuchinsk, Russia I FELT IT - 2 reports	Info
Tuesday, October 21, 2025 GMT (1 quake)
Oct 22, 11:37 am (GMT +12)	5.1 74 km	48 km (30 mi) SE of Unnamed 52.92°N/158.52°E	54 km SE of Vilyuchinsk, Russia I FELT IT - 20 reports	Info
Monday, October 20, 2025 GMT (1 quake)
Oct 21, 10:43 am (Kamchatka)	4.9 64 km	84 km (52 mi) SE of Zhupanovsky	74 km E of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia I FELT IT - 3 reports	Info
Sunday, October 19, 2025 GMT (1 quake)
Oct 19, 06:23 pm (GMT +11)	5.2 10 km	173 km (107 mi) SE of Avachinsky	175 km ESE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia I FELT IT	Info

See Recent Quakes

Volcanoes of Kamchatka

The Kamchatka Peninsula (Russia) is one of the most volcanically active volcanic places on earth, second only perhaps to Iceland and Hawaii. In this part of the Pacific "Ring of Fire", there are over 100 active volcanoes (the Smithsonian Institution lists 109) and about 30 volcanoes that have erupted recently, in addition to hundreds of smaller monogenetic vents (i.e. that have formed during one single eruption)
The active volcanoes form a 700-km long volcanic belt from Shiveluch in the north to Kambalny in the south. The vigorous volcanism on Kamchatka, like that of the adjacent Aleutian and Kurile island arcs, is produced by the subduction of the Pacific plate under the E margin of the Eurasian plate.
During the past 10,000 years, at least about 30 very large (so-called Plinian) eruptions have occurred in Kamchatka, i.e. eruptions that have ejected more than 1 cubic kilometer of magma. With this record, Kamchatka is by far the place on earth with the greatest frequency of large explosive eruptions.
The most active volcanoes on Kamchatka are Klyuchevsky, Shiveluch, Karymsky and Bezymianny.

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Tectonic map of the Kamchatka peninsula and the Kurile islands. Red triangles show active volcanoes. (Map created using the UNAVCO / Voyager map tool, featuring Face of the Earth)

Map of Kamchatka's major active volcanoes (basemap: NASA).

Krasheninnikov Volcano Volcanic Ash Advisory: VA AT 20251025/0017Z FL090 EXTD ESE REPORTED OBS VA DTG: 25/0140Z to 9000 ft (2700 m)

Fri, 24 Oct 2025, 12:15

Krasheninnikov Volcano Volcanic Ash Advisory: VA EMISSIONS CONTINUING OBS VA DTG: 24/1120Z to 9000 ft (2700 m)

Fri, 24 Oct 2025, 04:15

Krasheninnikov Volcano Volcanic Ash Advisory: VA AT 20251024/0301Z FL090 EXTD SE REPORTED OBS VA DTG: 24/0340Z to 9000 ft (2700 m)

Satellite image of Krasheninnikov volcano on 24 Oct 2025

Thu, 23 Oct 2025, 18:15

Krasheninnikov Volcano Volcanic Ash Advisory: VA AT 20251023/1740Z FL080 EXTD E OBS VA DTG: 23/1740Z to 8000 ft (2400 m)

Thu, 23 Oct 2025, 10:00

Sheveluch volcano (Russia) - Smithsonian / USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report for 24 September-30 September 2025 (Continuing Activity)

The Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT) reported continuing eruptive activity at Sheveluch's “300 years of RAS” dome on the SW flank of Old Sheveluch and at the Young Sheveluch dome during 18-25 September. Daily thermal anomalies over the domes were identified in satellite images. Ash plumes were identified in satellite and webcam images rising to 5 km a.s.l. and drifting more than 150 km SE and NW during 18-19 September. ... Read all

Thu, 23 Oct 2025, 10:00

Krasheninnikov volcano (Russia) - Smithsonian / USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report for 24 September-30 September 2025 (Continuing Activity)

The Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT) reported that the eruption at Krasheninnikov continued during 18-25 September. A daily large thermal anomaly over the volcano was identified in satellite images. Explosions at Northern Cone produced ash plumes that rose 2.4 km a.s.l., or nearly 600 m above the summit, and drifted 260 km SE and E during 23-25 September. ... Read all