What are the strongest earthquakes ever? See where July 29 quake ranks
A magnitude 8.8 earthquake that struck off Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula on July 29 is now among the 10 largest ever recorded on the planet.
With a depth of about 12 miles, the shallow quake was recorded at 7:24 p.m. ET approximately 78 miles east-southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Kamchatka and Russia's Far East sit on the Pacific Ring of Fire, the geologically active region known for intense earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
In a video posted to the Telegram messaging app, Kamchatka Gov. Vladimir Solodov said preliminary information indicates there were no injuries but added that a kindergarten building was damaged, according to Reuters.
"Today's earthquake was serious and the strongest in decades of tremors," Solodov said, per Reuters.
A tsunami of up to 13 feet generated by the quake prompted evacuations and damaged buildings in the transcontinental country. Following the record-breaking quake, multiple aftershocks were recorded ranging between a magnitude of 5.2 to 6.9, the USGS reported.
Coasts of Russia, Japan and Hawaii were all subject to warnings of "hazardous tsunami waves" issued by the U.S. Tsunami Warning System. Tsunami alerts were also issued for the entire U.S. West Coast with officials issuing evacuation warnings in Hawaii, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
Here's how the major earthquake ranks among the largest ever recorded, dating as far back as 1906.
How does the 2025 Russia earthquake compare?
The magnitude 8.8 earthquake off Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula on July 29, 2025 is now among the top 10 magnitudes ever recorded, along with two other 8.8-magnitude earthquakes.
Indian Ocean quake off coast of Sumatra: April 11, 2012
An 8.6 quake off the coast of Sumatra on April 11, 2012, was one of two quakes in the Indian Ocean that struck near Indonesia, felt across the islands of Sumatra and Java, and widely felt in parts of South and Southeast Asia
The first quake registered at a magnitude of 8.6 at about 3:38 p.m. local time. It killed two people and at least eight died from heart attacks attributed to the quake. A dozen more were injured in the Indonesian province Aceh. Just over two hours later, another quake of 8.2 magnitude was felt in the same region and even triggered a local tsunami.
Assam-Tibet earthquake: Aug. 15, 1950
An Aug. 15, 1950, earthquake caused destruction in India and Tibet with a magnitude of 8.6, recalculated from an earlier designation of 8.7. More than 1,500 people were killed, including hundreds who died days after the quake when a dam broke. The quake triggered landslides that wiped out whole villages.
Rat Islands earthquake: Feb. 4, 1965
An 8.7-magnitude earthquake struck near Rat Islands, a group of Alaskan islands within the Aleutian Islands, on Feb. 4, 1965, also triggering a tsunami. Damage was reported to structures from the impact of the earthquake and subsequent flooding, but no deaths were reported.
Kamchatka Peninsula earthquake: July 29, 2025
On Tuesday, July 29, 2025, a magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck off Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula about 78 miles east-southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Kamchatka Gov. Vladimir Solodov said preliminary information indicates there were no injuries but that a kindergarten building was damaged, according to Reuters. The quake generated a tsunami of up to 13 feet in Russia and prompted tsunami alerts in Japan, Hawaii and the entire U.S. West Coast.
Ecuador-Colombia quake: Jan. 31, 1906
Near the coast of Ecuador on Jan. 31, 1906, an 8.8 quake caused a tsunami that killed between 500 and 1,500 people in Ecuador and Colombia. Its magnitude has been recalculated after being originally estimated at 8.2. The tsunami reached Hilo, Hawaii, over 5,000 miles away 12.5 hours later.
Chilean earthquake: Feb. 27, 2010
More than 500 people were killed and over two dozen were declared missing, another 12,000 were injured and hundreds of thousands of structures were damaged or destroyed in an 8.8 earthquake and tsunami near Quirihue, Chile, on Feb. 27, 2010. The quake was felt across much of South America.
More than 800,000 people were displaced from their homes. The economic loss was estimated at $30 billion. The tsunami even reached San Diego, California, where it damaged boats docked there.
Quake near Kamchatka, Russia: Nov. 4, 1952
A 9.0 quake off the coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia, triggered a tsunami that caused serious damage and killed at least 4,000 people.
The tsunami made its way through the Pacific Ocean, causing up to $1 million of damage in Hawaii, where the waves destroyed boats and piers and killed six cows.
Japan earthquake and tsunami: March 11, 2011
The Great Tohoku Earthquake struck Japan on March 11, 2011, with a magnitude of 9.1 which also triggered a catastrophic tsunami that hit within 30 minutes of the quake. The tsunami disabled three nuclear reactors, causing a nuclear disaster. Hundreds of fires also broke out as a result.
More than 18,000 people died, including thousands never found but presumed dead, and over 6,000 were injured. More than 100,000 homes were totally destroyed and almost a million more were damaged, mostly due to the tsunami. Damage was recorded from the tsunami around the world, including in Hawaii, California, Peru, and the Galapagos Islands.
Sumatra-Andaman Islands earthquake: Dec. 26, 2004
A 9.1-magnitude earthquake and tsunami off the west coast of northern Sumatra on Dec. 26, 2004, killed more than 283,000 people and displaced over 1 million more across 10 countries in Asia and Africa.
"The tsunami caused more casualties than any other in recorded history and was recorded nearly world-wide on tide gauges in the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans," the U.S. Geological Survey site said.
Great Alaska Earthquake: March 27, 1964
Also known as the Good Friday Earthquake, a 9.2 quake in southern Alaska and tsunami killed 131 people and caused over $2 billion in damage across the cities of Anchorage, Chitina, Glennallen, Homer, Hope and many others in Alaska. A J.C. Penney building sustained heavy damage and an apartment building collapsed in Anchorage, while the school system was devastated.
Valdivian Earthquake: May 22, 1960
The Valdivian Earthquake, or the Great Chilean Earthquake, is the largest on record. It measured in at a magnitude of 9.5. off the coast of Chile near Valdivia and the Puerto Montt area.
At least 1,655 people were killed and 3,000 were injured in southern Chile; 61 died in Hawaii; 138 in Japan and 32 in the Philippines. The widespread damage to homes left about 2 million people homeless in the wake of the earthquake and tsunami. Damage from the tsunami was recorded in Hawaii, Japan and the West Coast of the U.S.
Contributing: Dinah Voyles Pulver and Thao Nguyen, Paste BN
(This story was updated to include video and because an earlier version included an inaccuracy.)