Quake off Japan, Russia put at 7.0
TOKYO – A 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck in seas off far northern Japan and far eastern Russia today, but no damage was expected.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said sea changes were possible, but no tsunami warnings were issued.
The tremor struck around midday in the Pacific Ocean at a relatively shallow depth of six miles. The U.S. Geological Survey measured a stronger 7.2 magnitude.
Japan and Russia both claim some of the sparsely populated islands in the remote region. The epicenter was 328 miles northeast of Nemuro, Japan.
The nearest land is the volcanic islands of Urup, Iturup and Sumushir. Hokkaido officials said the islands were not under Japanese control.