An 8.8-magnitude earthquake occurred near the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia, raising fears of severe damage in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Tsunami waves as high as 10 feet were forecasted for Russia and Japan, affecting coastal communities. This earthquake is among the six most powerful ever recorded, with its magnitude revised from 8.0 to 8.8. Such great earthquakes occur once a year on average, with strong ones like this only happening once a decade. Experts noted that the magnitude might be further reclassified as additional data is analyzed.
The earthquake was the most powerful since 2011, when a 9.1-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Japan triggered a tsunami that ultimately killed more than 18,000 people.
Like that earthquake, Wednesday's tremor was upgraded in strength. It was initially reported as 8.0 magnitude, then changed to 8.7 and later 8.8 - tied for the sixth-strongest ever recorded.
"I wouldn't be surprised over the next weeks if it ends up becoming a little larger," she said. "It's for the simple reason that large earthquakes are much more difficult to pin down than smaller ones."
So called "great" earthquakes - 8.0 or higher in magnitude - tend to occur about once a year, with quakes as strong as Wednesday's only coming once a decade on average.
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