Massive 7.2 Earthquake Off Shores Of Russia And Japan, No Injuries Reported

The U.S. Geological Survey reported a 7.2 magnitude earthquake centered near the Kuril island chain just after 11 p.m. EST on April 18. The region is off the eastern shores of Russia and north of Japan's Hokkaido Island.

No injuries or damage was reported, likely due to the quake's reported depth of 122 km (76 miles) below surface.

The island chain is home to about 19,000 people and is entirely under Russian jurisdiction, though Japan claims the two southernmost islands as its own.

People as far away as Tokyo, some 1,500 km (932 miles) from the epicenter reported feeling the tremor.

The NOAA's Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a statement moments after the quake that no tsunami was expected. A 20cm (8 inch) tsunami was did hit the Russian coast, according to Earthquake-Report, but was, of course, harmless.

In 2006 an 8.3-magnitude earthquake hit the Kuril Islands, resulting in a tsunami that traveled as far as California.

According to the USGS, the trembler was caused by normal faulting along the Pacific tectonic plate. It occurred around the Kuril-Kamchatka arc. "considered one of the most seismically active regions in the world," which runs for about 1,300 miles from Hokkaido, Japan, to Russia's Commander Islands.

This is the second major earthquake this week. A 7.8-magnitude shocker caused death and destruction in Iran and Pakistan earlier this week.