M7.2 earthquake - 134 km E of Shikotan, Russia

What happened

A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck 134 km E of Shikotan, Russia on 21 Dec 1946, 10:18 UTC at a depth of 20 km.

Earthquakes of this size are classed as Major. Can cause serious damage over large areas. This was a shallow earthquake, which tends to be felt more strongly at the surface.

The nearest town in our records is Nemuro, about 230 km away in Hokkaido, Japan.