M6.3 earthquake - 82 km E of Shikotan, Russia

What happened

A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck 82 km E of Shikotan, Russia on 19 Dec 1938, 18:23 UTC at a depth of 35 km.

Earthquakes of this size are classed as Strong. Can cause damage in populated areas up to tens of kilometres away. This was a shallow earthquake, which tends to be felt more strongly at the surface.

The nearest town in our records is Nemuro, about 186 km away in Hokkaido, Japan.