Rapid Characterization of the 2025 M8.8 Kamchatka, Russia Earthquake
Description:
The July 29, 2025, MW 8.8 Kamchatka, Russia, earthquake was the sixth largest instrumentally recorded earthquake. This event was seismically well-observed at regional and teleseismic distances, but publicly available near-source data were sparse at the time of the event, presenting unique challenges for rapid source and impact characterization. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC) provides global real-time monitoring for earthquakes, including rapid response information products that estimate source characteristics, shaking, and the resulting damage and impacts. We describe the USGS rapid response earthquake information products following the Kamchatka event and discuss their implications for future hazards in the region. We describe potential improvements to our response workflows motivated by this event, including constraints on source geometries and the automated selection of fault geometries for finite-fault inversions. The rapid response products together support the interpretation of a unilateral southwestward rupture with significant slip on the southwestern end of the rupture extent. The MW 8.8–9.0 event in 1952, which ruptured a comparable extent of the Kuril-Kamchatka subduction interface, has many similarities to the 2025 rupture. This illustrates that incomplete release of slip deficits may remain following great earthquakes and highlights the usefulness of comparative studies between historic and modern events.
Session: SSJ-SSOC-SSA Joint Session: Lessons from Recent Major Earthquake Sequences Around the World - I
Type: Oral
Date: 4/17/2026
Presentation Time: 03:00 PM (local time)
Presenting Author: Harriet Z. Yin
Student Presenter: No
Invited Presentation:
Poster Number:
Authors
Harriet Yin Presenting Author Corresponding Author hyin@usgs.gov U.S. Geological Survey |
Kate Allstadt kallstadt@usgs.gov U.S. Geological Survey |
William Barnhart wbarnhart@usgs.gov U.S. Geological Survey |
Samantha Clapp sclapp@usgs.gov U.S. Geological Survey |
Paul Earle pearle@usgs.gov U.S. Geological Survey |
Dara Goldberg degoldberg@usgs.gov U.S. Geological Survey |
Alex Grant agrant@usgs.gov U.S. Geological Survey |
Matthew Herman matthew.w.herman@gmail.com California State University, Bakersfield |
Kishor Jaiswal kjaiswal@usgs.gov U.S. Geological Survey |
Sara K McBride sara.mcbride@gmail.com California Seismic Safety Commission, Sacramento, California, United States |
Adam Ringler aringler@usgs.gov U.S. Geological Survey, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States |
Max Schneider mschneider@usgs.gov U.S. Geological Survey, Moffett Field, California, United States |
Eric M Thompson emthompson@usgs.gov U.S. Geological Survey, Golden, Colorado, United States |
Nicholas van der Elst nvanderelst@usgs.gov U.S. Geological Survey, Moffett Field, California, United States |
David J Wald wald@usgs.gov U.S. Geological Survey, Golden, Colorado, United States |
Dun Wang dunwang2004@gmail.com China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, Wuhan, , China |
Charles B Worden cbworden@contractor.usgs.gov U.S. Geological Survey, Golden, Colorado, United States |
Rapid Characterization of the 2025 M8.8 Kamchatka, Russia Earthquake
Category
SSJ-SSOC-SSA Joint Session: Lessons from Recent Major Earthquake Sequences Around the World