Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula region on Friday was jolted by an earthquake of 7.0 magnitude. The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) initially estimated it as magnitude of 7.0, but later it was revised to magnitude 6.9. No tsunami warning was issued. However in Japan, a warning was issued for a magnitude 9.9 earthquake. Had such an earthquake occurred, it would have surpassed every earthquake recorded in modern history. The largest earthquake ever recorded was a magnitude 9.5 event that struck Chile on May 22, 1960. The earthquake ruptured a fault extending hundreds of miles along the country’s coast. Although it was not a magnitude 10 earthquake, it remains the strongest earthquake ever instrumentally recorded. And scientists say such megaquakes (technically 10 or above) may never happen.
