The 2002 Magnitude 7.3 Deep Earthquake East of Dolinsk, Russia

On November 17, 2002, at 04:53 UTC, a magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck 262 km east of Dolinsk on Sakhalin Island, Russia. The event originated at a depth of 459.1 km, classifying it as a deep-focus earthquake. No other earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 or greater have been recorded in the immediate vicinity since January 1, 2000. Sakhalin Island occupies a tectonically active position in the Russian Far East at the northwestern margin of the Pacific Ring of Fire. The island sits near the convergent boundary between the Amur Plate to the west and the Okhotsk Plate to the east, where oblique convergence and associated strike-slip faulting accommodate regional deformation. Deep seismicity in this area commonly arises from intraslab stresses within the subducting Pacific Plate as it descends beneath the Okhotsk Plate. The broader Sakhalin region has a documented history of both shallow crustal and intermediate-depth earthquakes. Notable prior events include the 1995 Neftegorsk earthquake, which produced surface rupture and significant damage on northern Sakhalin. Deep events such as the 2002 earthquake contribute to understanding the geometry and dynamics of the subducting slab beneath the Sea of Okhotsk. Because of its great focal depth, the 2002 earthquake produced limited felt shaking across Sakhalin and neighboring areas despite its substantial magnitude. Deep-focus earthquakes typically generate fewer aftershocks and lower surface accelerations than shallow events of comparable size. Ongoing seismic monitoring by regional networks continues to track activity along the Sakhalin-Okhotsk plate boundary, supporting improved hazard assessment for the Russian Far East.

References

USGS Earthquake Catalog (event parameters as provided)