M5.6 Depth: 20.0 km

M5.6 Earthquake near Kuril Islands

UTC time: 2026-03-19 07:43:29 UTC Local time:

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.6 earthquake was recorded near Kuril Islands on March 19, 2026 at 07:43 UTC. With a focal depth of about 20 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. Events of this size can cause damage near the epicenter.

The event was recorded by GFZ.

Details

Magnitude
M5.6
Depth
20.0 km
UTC time
2026-03-19 07:43:29 UTC
Local time
Country
Source
gfz
Coordinates
49.14000, 156.25000
Temperature
2.9°C

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 20 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 20 km
Shallow
20 km
Why depth matters

Shallow quakes release energy near the surface — shaking is felt more strongly and damage potential is higher.

Depth classes per USGS

Nearby population centers

Distances are straight-line distances from the epicenter. Population data: GeoNames.

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Vilyuchinsk447.7 kmN25'204
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy466.8 kmN181'216

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Tao-Rusyr Caldera
    Distance: 113 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'272 m ·Last eruption: 1952 ·Russia
  • Nemo Peak
    Distance: 114 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 994 m ·Last eruption: 1938 ·Russia
  • Kharimkotan
    Distance: 127 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'145 m ·Last eruption: 1933 ·Russia
  • Karpinsky Group
    Distance: 128 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 1'326 m ·Russia
  • Chikurachki
    Distance: 143 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 1'781 m ·Last eruption: 2023 ·Russia
  • Fuss Peak
    Distance: 145 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'742 m ·Last eruption: 1854 ·Russia

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

Events recorded after this earthquake within 150 km. They are not automatically classified as aftershocks.

First 6 hours9
First 24 hours11
First 72 hours11
Strongest subsequent eventM5.2

Comparison of seismic sources

2 sources currently report magnitudes from M5.6 to M5.6.

Measurements can differ because agencies use different networks and calculation methods. Values may be revised.

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
GFZM5.620.0 km0.0 km
NNSNM5.637.6 km12.8 km

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#28
Earlier events M≥4510
Earlier events M≥5222
Compared since2025-02-03

The QuakeMap24 comparison dataset begins on 2024-03-23. Earlier earthquakes may not be included.

Strongest earlier events

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
509
Country (24h)
Current earthquakes in
Magnitude Place Local time
No recent events available.

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