Location:

142 km SE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia

Period:

19 May 2013 10:18:24 - 21 May 2013 18:01:55 (2 days 7 hours 43 minutes)

Volcanoes in 100km radius:

None

Earthquakes:

17 swarms found nearby.

2001

PS20011008.1(36.8km)

7 Oct

1 day 4 hours

6 earthquakes

2013

PS20130519.1(21.9km)

18 May

2 days 16 hours

33 earthquakes

2024

PS20240817.1(63.9km)

17 Aug

3 hours

5 earthquakes

2025

PS20250720.1(54.3km)

20 Jul

2 days 17 hours

44 earthquakes

S20250721.1(27.9km)

20 Jul

2 days 8 hours

39 earthquakes

PS20250730.3(35.7km)

29 Jul

2 days 23 hours

69 earthquakes

PS20250730.5(47.7km)

30 Jul

2 days 11 hours

12 earthquakes

PS20250803.2(18.9km)

3 Aug

13 hours

8 earthquakes

PS20250806.1(84.1km)

5 Aug

1 day 11 hours

7 earthquakes

PS20250824.1(23.4km)

23 Aug

23 hours

5 earthquakes

PS20250911.1(98.1km)

10 Sep

16 hours

6 earthquakes

PS20250918.1(43.2km)

18 Sep

2 days 8 hours

36 earthquakes

PS20250922.1(100.8km)

22 Sep

2 hours

5 earthquakes

PS20251003.1(80.7km)

3 Oct

14 hours

6 earthquakes

PS20251005.1(107.1km)

4 Oct

22 hours

5 earthquakes

PS20251103.1(10.9km)

3 Nov

1 day 16 hours

15 earthquakes

2026

PS20260619.1(63.8km)

19 Jun

20 hours

7 earthquakes

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Seismic Swarm Activity Offshore Kamchatka Peninsula in May 2013

The seismic swarm designated S20130519.1 occurred southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia, between 10:18 on 19 May 2013 and 18:01 on 21 May 2013. Over 55 hours and 43 minutes, 43 earthquakes were recorded at a location approximately 142 km southeast of the city. All events registered magnitudes between 4.0 and 4.9, with focal depths predominantly clustered around 35 km.

This sequence represents typical clustered seismicity in a subduction-zone setting. The initial events on 19 May included multiple shocks of magnitude 4.7 and 4.9 within the first 12 hours. Activity continued at a steady rate through 20 May before tapering on 21 May, culminating in a final magnitude-4.5 event at 40 km depth. Depths remained largely stable between 21 km and 40 km, consistent with interface or intraslab processes along the subducting slab.

Regional Geological Context

The Kamchatka Peninsula lies within the Pacific Ring of Fire at the convergent boundary where the Pacific Plate subducts beneath the Okhotsk Plate along the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench. This tectonic regime produces frequent moderate-to-large earthquakes and volcanic activity. The 142 km southeast offshore location places the swarm directly above the seismogenic portion of the megathrust, where intermediate-depth events commonly occur.

Historical records document persistent seismic productivity in the region. Large megathrust earthquakes, such as the magnitude-9.0 event of 1952, have ruptured adjacent segments of the plate interface. Smaller swarms are recognized as recurrent features that release strain without producing a single dominant mainshock.

Swarm History Since 2000

Instrumental monitoring since 2000 records only two comparable swarms in this sector: one in 2001 comprising a single documented sequence and the 2013 event described here. Both episodes share similar magnitude ranges and durations, underscoring the episodic nature of clustered seismicity offshore southeastern Kamchatka.

References

USGS Earthquake Catalog
Global CMT Project
Kamchatka Branch of the Geophysical Survey RAS annual reports