On 4 November 1952, a major earthquake struck off the coast of Russia, located 89 km ESE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. According to the official USGS Earthquake Catalog record, the seismic event occurred at an epicenter of 52.623° latitude and 159.779° longitude.
Earthquake Magnitude and Depth
The earthquake registered a moment magnitude ($M_w$) of 9.0, placing it in the category of great earthquakes of magnitude 8 or higher. Its hypocenter was located at a depth of 21.6 km, which classifies it as a shallow crustal or subduction zone event rather than a deep-focus earthquake.
Intensity and Catalog Metrics
The USGS record assigns the event a maximum Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) of 6.98, indicating strong to very strong ground shaking potential near the source region. The event's overall significance score in the catalog is 1,246. The catalog entry carries an automatic processing status, and the tsunami flag for this specific record is set to false.
Frequently asked questions
When did the earthquake near Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky occur?
The earthquake occurred on 4 November 1952.
What was the magnitude and depth of the 1952 Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky earthquake?
The earthquake had a moment magnitude of 9.0 and a depth of 21.6 km.
Sources and further context
Official datasets support the event-specific facts.