Less than a week after the terrible 8.8 Richter earthquake that sent a Tsunami warning to the entire Russian Far East and many areas in the Pacific Ocean, Kamchatka Peninsula continues to suffer a new earthquake.
According to the regional seismological monitoring system, the 5.0-magnitude earthquake occurred at 1:57 p.m. on August 5 (local time), about 108km southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy city.
The center of the earthquake is determined to be offshore, at medium depth - a factor that can help minimize damage on the ground.
However, geological experts warn that the recent series of seismic activity in Kamchatka, located on the Pacific Ring Road, may not stop.
The continued movement of the Pacific tectonic plates makes the region particularly sensitive to large-scale earthquakes and aftershocks that are likely to occur in the coming days.
Some military analysts said that the consecutive earthquakes near a number of strategic facilities in Russia's Far East have raised many speculations about the actual impact these facilities have to bear. Although there have been no specific reports of damage, the coincidence in time and location has caused many concerns among observers.
Kamchatka - a land of famous volcanoes with more than 300 mountains and vibrant geological activities - is going through a period of serious earthquake instability.
The 8.8-magnitude richter on July 30 not only shook the entire peninsula but also caused unusual waves, prompting an emergency Tsunami warning across the Pacific Ocean, from Japan to North America.
At noon on August 3, a 7.0-magnitude earthquake again rocked the area 121km east of the town of Severo- Kurilsk, north of Kuril Island. Russian authorities issued a Tsunami warning to part of Kamchatka's coast after the earthquake.
In the context of continued aftershocks, people in the coastal area of remote East are advised to continue to closely monitor warnings from authorities, and prepare emergency evacuation plans if necessary.
The three consecutive strong earthquakes in less than a week have raised big questions about the stability of the Kamchatka region - one of the world's top seismic hotspots. And what both scientists and people are concerned about is whether the next major earthquake is approaching?
