Dormant volcano awakens after 600 years; volcanic eruptions stir fears in Pacific Ring of Fire

A powerful 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck near Russia’s Kuril Islands on Sunday, triggering tsunami warnings and heightening geological tensions in the volatile Pacific Ring of Fire. The quake occurred at a shallow depth of just 10 kilometers, raising concerns despite the absence of immediate reports of damage or casualties.

Authorities in Kamchatka issued tsunami alerts and urged residents to stay away from the coast, anticipating low-level waves. The Russian Ministry for Emergency Situations warned of possible coastal flooding, while the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center and the U.S. Geological Survey confirmed the quake, though both ruled out the threat of a large-scale tsunami across the Pacific.

The Kuril Islands—an arc of volcanic islands stretching from Japan’s Hokkaido to Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula—are no strangers to seismic unrest. But this latest quake follows an unprecedented 8.8-magnitude undersea earthquake in the region just days earlier, fueling speculation about increased tectonic instability.

In a dramatic twist, the Krasheninnikov volcano in Kamchatka erupted on Saturday for the first time in over 600 years. The volcano spewed a 6,000-meter ash plume, prompting aviation authorities to issue an “orange” alert for flight disruptions and further eruptions. Volcanologist Olga Girina confirmed the historic eruption, noting that while the ash cloud drifted eastward over the Pacific, it posed no immediate threat to populated areas.

Adding to the upheaval, the towering Klyuchevskoy volcano—one of the most active in Eurasia—also erupted recently, displaying lava flows and heavy ash emissions. Scientists are now examining possible links between the massive undersea quake and the sudden reactivation of multiple volcanoes across the Russian Far East.