Russia’s earthquake was so strong it was felt in Kansas | Here’s why that’s so unusual
By Nick Bende, JoBeth Davis
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DONIPHAN COUNTY, Kansas (KMBC) — The massive earthquake that struck Russia overnight and spawned tsunami fears in Japan, Hawaii and along the Pacific Coast of the United States was so strong that it registered on equipment in Kansas.
The 8.8 magnitude earthquake hit near Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula. The peninsula lies along the northwestern periphery of the Pacific tectonic plate in an area known as the “Ring of Fire” for the string of underwater volcanoes and sites of seismic activity throughout the Pacific.
It was the sixth-strongest earthquake in recorded history.
Luckily, this area of Russia is sparsely populated, and reports state that while several people were injured, no major damage has been reported.
Still, the earthquake spawned tsunami waves along Russia’s Kuril Islands and Japan’s large island, Hokkaido, and smaller tsunami waves were observed in Alaska and Hawaii.
Tsunami advisories remain in place along much of the western coast of the United States. While there is still some risk for waves, the worst of the event is over, officials said.
This earthquake released energy equivalent to 16 million kilotons of TNT, and was 10 million times more powerful than the typical smaller earthquakes occasionally felt in the Kansas City area.
The earthquake was so strong that it registered on equipment in Kansas.
Data from the Kansas Geological Survey shows the Russian earthquake clearly on a seismograph in our area.
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